


Forget Me Not

by lovewillremember



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Amnesia, Angst, Car Accidents, F/M, Fluff, Maybe slightly AU, Original Universe, mostly ou though
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-03
Updated: 2016-09-12
Packaged: 2018-05-18 02:37:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 30,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5894779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovewillremember/pseuds/lovewillremember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cordelia Lowenthall was tired of her highly publicized life. Daughter of a high power businesswoman and engaged to a politician’s son, everybody wanted to know the details of her life, but it all became too much. She packed her bags, moved coasts, and changed her name in order to start over. She had no idea how fresh of a start she would get.</p><p>Or, a story about a girl that’s lost herself and the boy that helps find her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. i. if you hear me

**Author's Note:**

> These are who I imagine as the cast, but feel free to replace them with people you like better if you're not feeling it.
> 
>  **Cory Burk/Cordelia Lowenthall** \- Candice Patton  
>  **Himself** \- Harry Styles (and any other person you may recognize)  
>  **Annalise Chen** \- Malese Jow  
>  **Hazel Chen** \- Chloe Bennet  
>  **Carter Pratt** \- Bradley James  
>  **Kimberly Prescott** \- Nicola Peltz  
>  **Xander Lowenthall** \- Chris Hemsworth  
>  **Sebastian Lowenthall** \- Brad Pitt  
>  **Savannah Lowenthall** \- Rachel Weisz
> 
> There's a trailer for the fic up on my writing blog, makeshiftneverland, if you want to [click here](http://makeshiftneverland.tumblr.com/post/137578444729) and watch before you get reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm back again and with a brand new story. This one isn't necessarily an AU because Harry is in all his original glory, but any events that are in this story that aren't canon are obviously artistic license. I'm hoping you'll enjoy this story as much as I do.
> 
> * * *
> 
>   
>  _"I don't know who you are  
>  Don't even know your name  
> I wish we could talk but I don't have a number to call  
> So hold your hand up if you hear me,  
> I've been searching but all that I found  
> Is everywhere that I go, is standing alone in the crowd  
> And I need you now... I need you now"  
>  **I Need You Now** \- Olly Murs_
> 
>  
> 
> End of June, 2015

The rhythmic beeping of a heart monitor would be enough to drive anyone crazy.

At least, that’s what Harry thinks. Day after day, listening to the same sound that should actually mean something when it doesn’t -- he doesn’t know how the nurses do this sort of thing daily. Of course, they don’t spend all day with a single patient. Not the way he does.

He’d like to say he couldn’t remember how long it had been since he found out about the accident. He sometimes wished he was able to be blissfully unaware of the consequences of his fame, but some things were impossible to avoid, no matter how hard he tried. A trail of fans and paparazzi in his wake could cause him strife, but that came as part of the package, right? Not this, though. He never anticipated this.

“Mr. Styles?”

The sound of his name from the doorway pulled him from his trance, eyes landing on the nurse standing a few feet away. “Hmm. Yeah?”

“Doctor Phelps would like to talk to you.”

“What about?” If Harry didn’t have to leave the room, he didn’t want to.

“She wants to tell you about your options.”

Options. Like he really had any.

Standing, he followed the young man from the room and down the familiar hall. He’d become a staple to the ward by this point, so much so that nobody flinched out of recognition when he walked past anymore. He wasn’t sure if he preferred it that way, but it made things easier when trying to avoid prying eyes, something there’d been plenty of since the news broke.

There had been a few incidents where paparazzi would sneak into the ward to try and get a shot of the miserable pop star seated at the unconscious victim’s bedside. Lord knows how much that would sell for, since the story itself was all anybody seemed to be talking about. The world of One Direction was rife with controversy ever since earlier that year, starting with the departure of Zayn and more recently the speculation that the band would be coming to an end once their current tour was over. This was certainly no exception.

Stories in Hollywood didn’t usually last more than a few weeks before everyone grew bored and found something else to blow out of proportion. He was convinced it was only because it was Harry Styles of One Direction that this remained a lingering headline. Had it been anybody else, it would have blown over by now.

Journalists bided their time outside of the building nearly every day, waiting to get a statement from him about the situation. It wasn’t like it mattered, though. The story was out there -- had been for nearly three months now -- with his name attached to it regardless of what he said or did. Why should he give them any sound bites to work with on top of that? They’d still manage to twist it to their liking, somehow.

He’d still sneak in through the back of the hospital to avoid making a scene, though. Go home at odd hours of the morning to better hide when he’d have to leave. The staff would all deny he was there to give him some privacy, even if he didn’t think he was the one that needed it, really. The last thing he wanted was to turn this into any sort of spectacle. She deserved more than that.

Stopping where the hall merged into another, he saw her primary doctor make her way from another patient’s room before joining the two by the windows.

“How are you today, Harry?” She asked, kind smile emphasizing the wrinkles in the corners of her eyes. “You look tired.”

“I am,” he responded with a faint smile of his own. “Got off the plane and headed right here.”

“That’s right, you had mentioned you were heading out for tour when you left,” she recalled, though the pleasantries ended soon after. Doctor Phelps was an older woman, somewhere in her late 40s, with dark brown hair pulled tightly against her head and a soothing voice that nearly reminded him of his mum’s, save for the accent. It made hearing otherwise hard news easier to swallow. “Since you’re here, I wanted to update you on Jane Doe’s cond--”

“Rose.” He hated not knowing her real name. Rose felt more personal, like she was more than just some numbers on a chart.

“Yes, right. Rose.” Doctor Phelps cleared her throat. “Rose’s condition… She remains stable, but there hasn’t been any improvement since you left.”

That was good, right? So why was she frowning?

“Unfortunately, the team isn’t optimistic that she’ll be waking up any time soon, if at all. I’m afraid that without her medical history, there isn’t much more we can do for her.”

“But you just said she’s been stable this whole time.” A crease ran between his brows. “So there’s still a chance for her to get better and wake up if we wait, right?”

“That is true, and patients who go into comas due to a head injury are more likely to wake up,” she began. “However, research and experience shows the longer a patient remains in an unresponsive state, the less likely they are to regain consciousness. Then, if they do, their quality of life is... severely impaired, to say the least.”

“That doesn’t mean--” Harry interrupted himself, biting his tongue and trying his hardest not to allow his frustration to breach the surface. He wasn’t mad at her and he couldn’t let her feel that. He was mad at the situation, mad at the world. He released a sigh through his nose, nostrils flaring. “What do you suggest then?”

“For now, we can monitor her vitals for any signs of progress or deterioration,” she explained, cautious as she spoke. It was like she could feel the anxiety that infiltrated his nerves. “If brain activity completely ceases, then it’d be up to you whether we pull the plug or leave her on life support until we can locate her family.”

Doctor Phelps was willing to give up so easily on her. Well, he wasn’t. He couldn’t. He needed to make sure she came out of this alright. If it hadn’t been for him, she wouldn’t even be in here in the first place.

“Can I have some time to think about it?” He finally spoke.

“You don’t need to make a decision now,” the doctor began, offering up that same smile she’d had before, like the news in no way affected her as much as it did him. “Take as much time as you need.”

Harry watched her short legs carry her down the hall, once they’d exchanged goodbyes, as she made her way to check on another patient. He wasn’t sure if he could do the job they did -- caring for so many people’s wellbeing, and being responsible for it. It nearly killed him being responsible for one that wasn’t his own, he couldn’t imagine the toll more would take on his mind.

He walked back towards the room, slowing down as he approached the entrance. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get used to the sight; the wires snaking from her arms, chest, and skull into the beeping machines, the gauze wrapped around her head, the tube clamped to her mouth that allowed her to continue breathing. If it meant she had a fighting chance at regaining consciousness, though, he would endure it as long as he needed.

With a sigh, he pulled his phone from his pocket and dialled the first number he typically called once he landed. It only took two rings for Jeff to answer.

“I was wondering when you’d call.” The voice on the other end of the line was a welcome change from the overwhelming silence. “You at the hospital?”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Are you busy? I could use some advice.”

“You sound like you could use sleep more,” Jeff chuckled. “Stop by the office -- we’ll do lunch.”

“See you in a bit.”

Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Harry made one last trip into the room and stood by the girl’s bedside, fingers gently brushing along hers. He wondered if she could feel him there, or if she could hear any of the stories he’d read to her while she was sleeping. He’d read about patients who awoke from a coma having heard the conversations around them. He hoped she didn’t feel alone in this.

“I’ve gotta go meet a friend for lunch,” he explained, his voice soft but still present over the beeping of the heart monitor. “I’ll be back later tonight. I’ve got so much to tell you about.” A faint smile graced his lips and he gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “Don’t miss me too much.”

He waited for a few moments, almost like he expected some sort of response or an acknowledgement of any sort. It was wishful thinking, but nothing happened. Nothing ever happened.

◖ ◒ ◗

He left the hospital through an employee exit with his sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, keeping his head down as he made his way to his car. He had to triple check as he pulled out of the lot that nobody was following behind him, but once he was a few blocks away, he was almost certain he was safe. The drive to the CAA building took about as long as usual. Harry was reminded one of the unflattering parts of California -- traffic.

The drive gave him time to think despite the classic rock filtering through the speakers of the Range Rover. Jeff had been aware of the situation from the start. He was the one person that Harry could confide in outside of the band and not have to worry about it slipping out to the media. Of course, the trust he had in his friend trickled down to his family and his girlfriend, Glenne, as well. Jeff was the older brother Harry never had, and he knew that he could reason this out with him and come to some semblance of a decision.

Harry greeted the usual faces as he walked through the office towards Jeff’s door, rapping his knuckles against the frame and catching the man’s attention. Jeff waved him inside then pointed to the phone pressed to his ear, all while carrying on a conversation with the person on the other end.

Stepping into the room, Harry meandered across towards the window and peeked out through the blinds, scanning the parking lot. Jeff said he’d become more paranoid since the accident. He’d grown used to the media presence in his life. It was hard not to when he’d practically always had a camera of some sort shoved into his face since he was 16 years old. Harry liked to think he was being more cautious than anything. 

“Alright,” Jeff blurted out, the phone returning to its cradle with a click. “You really need to stop doing that.”

“Doing what?” Harry asked, brows raised as he turned to face his friend.

“ _That._ ” Jeff stood, pointing to the window. “You shouldn’t spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulders.” He gathered up his keys and wallet from the desk, shoving them into his pockets. “What are you feeling for lunch? I’m thinking sushi.”

Harry smiled, stepping away from the window and shrugging at Jeff’s suggestion. “Works for me.”

“You alright? Usually you’re much more vocal about this.” Jeff stepped around his desk, eyes never leaving Harry’s face. He had concern etched into every crease of his face as he furrowed his brows. “Maybe you really should get home and get some rest.”

“I’ll sleep later,” Harry spoke, waving his hand dismissively. “As long as it’s somewhere relatively quiet, I’ve not got a problem with it.”

Shaking his head, the older male sighed and patted Harry’s shoulder. “Alright, if you insist. C’mon.”

Jeff locked up his office, then led the way to the parking lot, Harry trailing right behind him with hands in his pockets. The drive was mostly silent, Harry spending the majority of it staring out the window at the cars passing by on the freeway. Jeff took notice of the silence and the tension that was held in Harry’s entire being, but he knew Harry would bring it up when he was ready. There was no point in pushing him. He could be as closed off as the best of them, but rarely with him.

“How was the tour?” Jeff asked, eyes focused ahead though he couldn’t help sneak a glance towards the passenger’s seat to catch a glimpse of Harry’s face.

Harry shrugged. “It was tough.”

“I can imagine,” he began. “Least there weren’t too many interviews, right?”

“Not yet, anyway. They’ll be coming,” Harry responded, words laced with a soft chuckle. “I mean, they’ve got loads they could ask now.”

“You don’t have to answer anything you don’t want to.”

“This isn’t my first go round, Jeff,” Harry snapped. The car was quiet save for the low buzzing of the stereo until he sighed, running his fingers through his shaggy locks. “Sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Jeff insisted. “You’re under a lot of stress. I get it.”

He swallowed hard around the lump that had taken up permanent residence in his throat. “Doesn’t mean I should go off on you like that, so… m’sorry.”

“H, it’s fine. Really.” Jeff sent a smile towards him. “Besides, you know I’ll get you back later anyway.”

A smirk turned the edge of Harry’s lips up slowly, chuckle spilling past them. “Sure you will.”

Jeff pulled the car into the lot outside of their favorite sushi bar and it didn’t take long before the two were settled into a table towards the back of the room, handing off their menus back to their waiter.

“So, what’d you need advice on?” Jeff asked, taking his phone and turning it to silent.

“Jumping right in, huh?” Harry chuckled. “Erm… I suppose it’s not all that complicated, I’m just not entirely sure how to approach it.”

“Is this about Rose?”

Harry nodded. “The doctor said there’s not much more they can do for her. They’ll keep her on life support, but if it comes down to it, they wanted to know if I’d want them to wait to locate her family or…”

Harry didn’t have to finish for Jeff to catch onto why this was bothering him. Harry had practically been by the girl’s bedside since mid April and now that it was nearing July, he’d grown attached. He couldn’t understand it, but who was he to question how Harry’s mind worked?

“What was your initial reaction?” Jeff asked once he’d taken a sip of his water.

“I got angry,” Harry admitted. “I wanted to yell at them for giving up so easily on her.”

“But you didn’t, right?”

“Of course not.” Harry was offended that Jeff would assume the worst of him, brows knitting together in frustration once more. “I just can’t figure out why they’d be so pessimistic about her diagnosis.”

“H, those kind of injuries are serious. Not only the head trauma, but the fact she had broken ribs on top of that? It’s a wonder she even survived at all,” Jeff explained.

“Which is why I don’t want to give up on her,” Harry blurted out, nearly cutting off the end of Jeff’s sentence. “She’s a fighter. She’ll wake up. I know it.”

Nodding, Jeff thought for a few moments. “If she doesn’t,” he approached cautiously. “Would you wait for her family?”

“Nobody’s come to visit her yet. Not sure she even has any at this point,” Harry murmured.

“They could’ve come while you were gone?”

Harry shook his head. “Doctors would’ve said something to me. And, if they were good family, they’d have been there when I got back.”

“Not everyone’s lucky enough to have a loving family,” Jeff reminded him. “They also probably don’t have the time to stay there all day.”

Harry hated when Jeff would play Devil’s Advocate, despite knowing it was for the best. Harry had a tendency to assume that the way he lived out his life should be the norm for everyone, so it was hard to envision when something deviated from it. He was learning more every time he went to a new country, but he knew he still had a long way to go. For all he knew, Rose’s parents could be in a position where they’re unable to take time off from work to see her. He hoped that they’d at least have stopped in by now, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“I don’t know. It’s not really my decision to make, is it?” Harry asked, voice gone soft.

“What do you mean?”

“Her life’s in my hands,” he began. “It shouldn’t be my decision what happens to her.”

Jeff frowned. “I know, but has there been any luck finding out her name?”

“No, not yet,” he sighed. “The police said they’d run her fingerprints through the system and came up with nothing. At least we know she’s got a clean record.”

“And her wallet wasn’t on her?”

“I’m pretty sure that would’ve been one of the first things they’d look for when arriving at the accident,” Harry remarked, giving Jeff a look. “She had nothing on her except her phone and a gym bag.”

“I guess all will be revealed in time.”

“Whenever she wakes up,” Harry sighed.

“If it comes down to it, and you have to be the one to make the call, I’ll be there with you. You won’t have to do it alone,” Jeff offered with a smile, one which Harry returned slowly.

Their sushi was brought to their table, the mere sight of it causing Harry’s stomach to growl. He hadn’t eaten since midway through his flight and it was finally starting to hit him. Breaking the chopsticks apart, he scarfed down two pieces at a time, barely allowing himself time to breath in between bites.

“Calm down, you’ll choke on your food,” Jeff warned, trying his hardest not to laugh.

“Fuck off,” Harry replied with a laugh of his own, receiving a middle finger in response. For now, he’d try not to focus on the possibility of her getting worse. Although he didn’t feel completely secure in the situation, he at least had some sense of direction.

◖ ◒ ◗

It was dark out by the time Harry arrived back at the hospital. He had promised Jeff he’d get some rest before he went back to see her. Tour had exhausted him and he still had until the end of the year before he was able to truly rest. What was meant to be a two hour nap turned into full blown sleep without much effort.

He used his bag of clothes to shield his face from the cameras as he made his way around the side of the building. There weren’t many people walking through the halls at this hour, though he did greet the few nurses he passed, which made getting to her room easier.

Pushing the door closed behind him, he looked over to see the same sight he had when he left, save for a new name -- Mandy -- scrawled across the board of who would be checking in on her.

“Hey, Rose,” he greeted, pink lips curling into a smile. Walking across the room, he settled down into the cushioned chair beside the bed. “Sorry I took so long. I hope I didn’t worry you.”

He watched her for a few moments, swallowing hard. He always left the natural lull in between speaking, as if he were allowing her a chance to respond. He was sure she would, even if he couldn’t hear it.

“I brought a few things.” Reaching down into his bag, he tugged out a few DVDs, setting them onto his lap. “I’m not sure what films you like, so I brought a variety. My favourite’s _Love, Actually_. Always reminds me of home. I’ve brought a book as well, in case you don’t like my choices.” He chuckled, looking towards her. “You’ve missed a few while you’ve been here. I’ve heard incredible things about _Ex Machina_ , though that was a few days before…” Clearing his throat, he shook his head. “The new _Avengers_ came out as well. It’s not as good as the first, but it has its fun moments. New _Mad Max_ , that was great. Maybe we can go see one if they’re still in theaters when this is all over.”

He watched the heart monitor hovering to the left of the bed. The beeping was steady at 45 beats per minute as it had been from the day she was declared to be in stable condition. There’d been some ups and downs since then, and he tried to be there for all of them when he could.

Reaching out, his fingers slipped beneath hers. “Please wake up,” he whispered. “I can’t--” He took a deep, quivering breath in, squeezing her hand and carefully bringing it to his lips. “I need you to get better. Please. I can’t make this decision.”

It was rare when Harry felt the need to cry. He hadn’t in a long time, but he was tired. He was tired of not being able to do anything, he was tired of watching and waiting for something to happen.

A knock on the door startled him and he quickly swiped his hand beneath his eyes to catch the tears that were on the verge of falling. “Come in.”

A female nurse who he assumed was Mandy poked her head into the room. “Am I interrupting anything, Mr. Styles?”

“Not at all. We were about to start a film, so you’re just in time,” he insisted, waving her in. “And please, call me Harry.”

He released Rose’s hand and set it back down onto the bed, sorting through the movies in his lap while the nurse did her checks. He settled on _Into the Woods_ , figuring it was light hearted enough to bring up his mood.

“Do you need anything else before I go?” Mandy asked.

“I’ll be alright.” Harry stood and smiled. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for her.”

“Oh, you don’t need to thank me, Mr. Styles, it’s--”

“Harry.”

“Sorry,” she laughed. “You don’t need to thank me, Harry. It’s my job. Besides, I can see how much you care about her. I want to make sure she receives the best care possible.”

Harry’s smile softened and he simply nodded in response, watching her leave the room then turning his attention back to Rose. Mandy was right. He did care a lot about this girl. He just wished he knew her name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a start! Where do you guys see this going, based off this first chapter? I've got a few twists and turns planned for you guys along the way, so hopefully you'll enjoy it. This is brand new territory for me, so I'd really appreciate any feedback.


	2. ii. trying to find my place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _"Hello summer, or should I say goodbye?_   
>  _Well, it's been so long but I'm still thinking_   
>  _If it's worth another try._   
>  _Well I've got a lot to talk about if you still_   
>  _Want to listen or if you even care._   
>  _I'm just trying to find my place in this world_   
>  _And I know it's not so right to feel this way about a girl,_   
>  _But if you stay or if you go I'm right there with you,_   
>  _But you know that I'm looking for more than a pretty smile_   
>  _And if I'm lucky you can stay for a while, but_   
>  _If you stay or if you go, I'm just hanging on again."_   
>  _**If I'm Lucky** \- State Champs_
> 
> Mid July to Mid August, 2015  
> 

July came far too quickly for Harry’s liking. The brief time that he was home, between the European leg of tour and the shows in the US and Canada, all he’d really wanted to do was stay in, read to Rose, watch a few films, and catch up on sleep. He hadn’t wanted to go out, but his friends insisted he join them for celebrations on the 4th. He reluctantly agreed. Deep down, he’d always been a people pleaser.

He tried to enjoy the holiday with friends, spending it in Malibu at a party filled with other celebrities and models galore. Normally, he’d be in his element there. He’d be talking up everyone, checking in and schmoozing with the best of them. Instead, he kept to himself, drink always in hand and Xander by his side for the majority of the evening. At the very least, he was surrounded by people who wouldn’t pester him about what he’d been up to since they last saw him. Everybody knew about the tour, everybody knew about Zayn, and everybody thought they knew about Rose.

That left him to indulge in the burn of vodka down his throat and to throw himself into a meaningless hook-up his friend set him up with. ‘It’ll help loosen you up,’ Xander had told him. And it did, in the moment. After the fact, though, he’d felt guilty. He couldn’t place why immediately, and Xander wasn’t much help in him processing his feelings either. Later that night, once he’d returned to the hospital and settled in for the night, he realized what it was: he didn’t feel like he should be out enjoying the spoils of life when Rose couldn’t. It wasn’t fair to her. He should’ve been there, by her side.

Second week of July meant that he’d have to hit the road again. The first few shows weren’t far, so really he didn’t have to go until they trekked to Seattle for the 15th. Even though being on the road meant he’d be away from LA for a while, Harry took solace in the fact that if something happened, he’d be a short plane ride away rather than halfway across the globe. 

“I leave for tour again tomorrow,” he spoke, looking towards the girl in the bed. “I think I’ve told you a few times by now though. Surely you’ve got a better grasp of my schedule than I do.”

He chuckled then took a sip from the water bottle he’d grabbed on the way in, setting it back down on the tray table where the remnants of his fast-food dinner sat. “Probably getting sick of me always leaving, huh?” He paused. “I do too. If I could, I’d stay here. Won’t be much longer now though. We’ll have a break coming up and I’ll get to spend it with you.”

 _Hopefully_ , he thought.

A frown came to his face at the doubt that he’d allowed to enter his mind. He knew that the longer it took for her to wake up, the less likely it was that she _would_ wake up. The doctors had done their fair share of reminding him of that and, every time, he brushed it off because he had faith in her. He couldn’t give up on that now, but it was hard to stay strong when nothing had changed. He shook his head in some meager attempt to rid himself of the thought.

“We’ll be in California the first few days, so I’ll still come and visit until about mid-month. My friends will come by and see you while I’m gone. You remember Jeff and Glenne, right? They came by while I was in Europe.” He smiled. “They’ll stop in. Maybe I’ll get to Skype with you and I can read you some stories still. It’d be a bit difficult watching a movie that way.”

He scooted his chair closer to her bed and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “I’ll miss you, Rose.”

Why was it that the one person Harry wanted to miss him the most was the one who wouldn’t notice his absence in their life? For once, he knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of something he was all too familiar with dishing out. When he was younger, he loved the chase. The idea of having to work for something made the reward seem that much sweeter in his eyes, but then when he finally had what he wanted, it never met his expectations. That was why his relationships never lasted longer than a few months while the lead up was as slow of a burn one could get.

He knew this could easily turn into another one of those situations. He’d built up this image in his mind of what this girl beside him was like. She was perfect to him, something ideal that he wasn’t even sure she could match, and yet he still had the highest expectation that things could work out, somehow. She was beautiful, though. That much he knew for sure. With the post surgery bandages removed from around her head, her curls had begun to grow back in, slowly, but surely, framing her face and highlighting the softness of her features. Regardless of her state, he was mesmerized by her in every way imaginable. Maybe seeing his current obsession through rose-colored glasses was something he’d never truly outgrow.

“I’ll bring a few things back for you too. Some clothes, mostly. I don’t want you to end up without any when you’re finally awake.” He scrunched his nose. “Though I’m not sure I’m qualified for that. Everyone says my style’s a bit ridiculous. Maybe Glenne can take you out shopping, if she’s not too busy.”

Harry heard his phone ringing deep in his pocket and he tugged the device out, recognizing the number of the precinct who had been working Rose’s case almost immediately. He answered the call and brought the phone to his ear. “Hello?”

“Hi, Is this the number for Mr. Harry Styles?”

“Harry, yes,” he corrected. “May I ask with whom I’m speaking?”

“It’s Detective Rodriguez. We spoke briefly when you arrived at the hospital.”

It took a minute for Harry to place him, but after a few moments he managed to attach the voice to the scruffy officer he’d encountered when he stopped in to visit Rose for the first time. “Right, detective. What can I do for you, sir?”

The sound of papers shuffling on the other end carried through the receiver before the man spoke again. “Yeah, I thought you might wanna know that we’ve found a name for your Jane Doe.”

Had it not been for the sound of his heartbeat pounding against his eardrums, Harry would’ve sworn that his heart had stopped. Harry stumbled over his words, barely able to process the information long enough to form a coherent sentence. “You what? How did yo--? Nevermind. What’s her name? Can you tell me her name? Please?”

“Her phone got caught in a backlog of evidence, but it finally got processed,” Rodriguez explained. Harry grew more anxious by the minute, but the officer continued without regard for Harry’s nerves. “She didn’t have much on there except for some texts and pictures. Not even a social media account in sight! But we did manage to find an exchange between her and a friend that--”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to interrupt,” -- Harry couldn’t care less that he was interrupting -- “but could I know her name? I need to tell the nurses.”

“All’s we got was her friend calling her Cory. Not much more than that, I’m afraid.”

Cory. He could work with that.

“No last name?”

“A few e-mails were addressed to a Cory Burk, but we checked and there’s no record of a Cory Burk living anywhere in this district. We tried names we thought Cory may be a nickname for and came up empty, so we believe it could be a fake name. We’ll be checking the surrounding districts next.”

Harry looked towards the girl for a moment and let out the breath he had been holding in for God know’s how long. “Alright. Thank you very much, sir.”

“Not a problem,” he responded. “If we find anything else, we’ll let you know.”

“I’d appreciate that, thank you.”

The line went dead and Harry allowed his hand to lower to his lap slowly. He finally had some idea of who she was before she was in the hospital. It wasn’t much, but it would do for now. If it came down to it, he could hire a private investigator to see if they could find something the police had missed.

“Cory.” He finally said the name out loud, as if testing the way it rolled off his tongue, then looked back towards her. “That feels right. Cory.”

He glimpsed down at the time printed in large letters across his lock screen and frowned when he noticed how late in the day it was getting. He would have to celebrate later. He still had lots of packing to do that he’d been putting off.

“I’ve gotta get going, Cory,” he spoke, standing up from his seat and gathering his trash, putting it in the wastebin by the door. “I’ll try and stop in again in the morning before I fly out.”

Walking across the room to the bed, he brushed the short, wispy curls off of her forehead and left his hand to rest on her cheek. He took these last few moments with her for who knows how long to just watch her sleep, taking her in so he wouldn’t possibly forget her face -- not that it was possible. He then leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, eyes closed and lips lingering maybe a little too long for absolute strangers.

◖ ◒ ◗

It had been a month since he’d last seen her in person. Video calls didn’t feel the same as being able to hold her hand while he talked to her or read her one of the stories from the extensive library he’d been gathering since April. He tried not to complain, though. At the very least, he was able to see her, even if it’d be deep into the fall by the time he’d get to do either of those things again.

Despite his situation, Harry couldn’t deny that he loved touring. For the most part, anyway. Performing helped him to get his mind off of her, took him to a different place where he was no longer that scared kid with no idea what to do. On stage, he was playing a character; a version of himself that didn’t have to worry about the girl in a perpetual sleep back home.

Jeff and Glenne promised they’d check in on Cory when they could on his behalf and send updates on her condition. He was grateful for the two of them. He knew they’d have to take time out of their already busy schedules to appease his desire to constantly be by Cory’s side. They’d helped him through all of this when they didn’t need to. They simply insisted that that was what family did for each other.

The band and crew had been a great support too. For the most part, everyone decided it would be best not to bring it up. They knew it had been causing him grief since it happened. Even when his friends came to see the show in New Jersey, nobody brought it up. Besides, the band had other things happen since then; the world found out about Louis’ child-to-be and the impending hiatus the group would be taking the following year. Finally, Harry’s name and Cory’s situation were out of the papers, but for the wrong reasons.

While he was thankful for the occasional reprieve, sometimes it frustrated him that they refused to acknowledge her anymore. She was real. She was a huge part of his life, and they all acted like she didn’t even exist now that there was new drama to feast on.

He never expressed that, though. Merely scribbled angry thoughts across the pages of his journal every time he sat down to write. His lyrics were a mirror reflection of the emotions he was going through on any given day, but lately they’d been shit. He couldn’t concentrate off stage long enough to be churning out love songs anymore. He’d contributed a few lines here and there for Made In The AM, but even most of them were bittersweet.

“Harry.”

His name being called from the other side of the dressing room caught his attention, pulling him away from the words in front of him. Turning around, Harry saw Niall hanging in through the doorway. “Yes, Niall?”

“You gonna eat those?”

Harry raised a brow in confusion, then looked to see the container of cookies a fan had brought to the show that night was still sitting on the table beside him. Chuckling, he shook his head and motioned his hand towards it. “All yours. Just kept it ‘cos it was a nice gesture, that’s all.”

“You wanna go out tonight?” Niall asked, that genuine smile he’d grown accustomed to seeing on Niall’s face a welcome sight. Niall stepped into the room and made his way to the chair across from Harry’s, plopping himself down. He was fresh from the shower, evident by the droplets still clinging to the ends of the hairs at the base of his neck. “A few of the lads were thinkin’ about heading out to grab some drinks.”

“I think I might pass,” Harry began, scrunching up his nose, “but thanks for the offer.”

“You sure?” Niall popped the lid off the tupperware, grabbing one of the cookies and examining it. “You’ve not been out with us in a while.”

“I’m sure.” Harry nodded, but didn’t bother looking up from his moleskin journal. The 8th had been their last show before a 10 day break, some of which meant to be spent working and the other part being for leisure. Harry wasn’t in much of a hurry to go anywhere, knowing they’d be leaving for Chicago in the morning.

Niall sighed, running his fingers through his flat hair with one hand and setting the cookie down with the other. “Is there anything I can do for you, mate? I don’t like seein’ you like this.”

Harry glanced up towards the older boy. The first thing he noticed was the genuine concern that was etched in the crease of his brow. Slowly, he set the pen down and leaned against the back of his chair, giving a small shrug in response. “There isn’t much that I can think of, Niall.”

“I can offer up a distraction?” He suggested, brows raised hopefully. “We could play video games or maybe convince the lads drinkn’ in would be best, yeah?”

Harry allowed a hint of a smile to appear on his face at Niall’s eagerness. He’d been one of the few who were consistently checking in on him to make sure he was alright. They’d always done that for each other, but the problems they faced grew exponentially with age.

Clearing his throat, Harry closed the journal in his lap. “You still owe me a rematch for that ping pong game.”

“You mean the one I won fair and square?” Niall broke out into a grin.

“You did not!” Harry exclaimed, laughter infiltrating his voice.

“Oh, but I so did. You’re just a sore loser, mate.”

“I am not a sore loser!” Springing up from his seat, Harry began to gather up his belongings. “I’m gonna beat you, then we’ll see who’s a sore loser.”

Niall couldn’t help but to laugh hysterically before he, too, stood from his seat. “Still gonna be you, Harry.”

“We’ll see about that. C’mon.”

Before Niall had managed to collect the container of cookies, Harry’s competitive spirit had carried him from the room and out of the venue.

◖ ◒ ◗

Music blared through the speakers of the bar, nearly drowned out by the buzz of chatter coming from its patrons. One thing Harry liked about being of age now was that he was able to get into places like these without much fuss. It certainly helped that very few people of this age group recognized the duo when they entered, the ones who did asked for a picture and then left them be.

The two found their way to the back of the bar where an empty ping pong table sat alongside three pool tables and a game of darts happening among a quiet group of college students. Harry was ready to grab the paddle off the wall before Niall stopped him, hand on his shoulder.

“You wanna get something to drink first?” He called over the ruckus.

“Are you trying to get me impaired so I lose again?” Harry asked playfully, grin splitting his face in two.

“That wasn’t my first thought, but it did occur to me,” Niall admitted with a laugh. “I’ll get us two beers.”

“I think you need something stronger to make this fair -- you’ve got that Irish tolerance in your favour.” Harry smirked.

“Yeah, yeah. You just wanna make sure you win, which won’t happen,” Niall teased, but when he approached the bar to order their drinks, he got himself a rum and coke alongside the beers he ordered off the tap. Who was he to complain about drinking more alcohol?

Setting the mug of beer down on Harry’s side of the table, Niall held his own up to toast. “You excited for some proper days off?”

“Definitely.” Harry raised his own and tapped it against Niall’s, both taking a swig of the bitter liquid before he continued. “Think some rest might get my head screwed on right.”

“I dunno about that, I think it’s always been a bit crooked,” Niall joked, swatting at Harry’s elbow as it came prying at his side. “Everything alright, though? Y’know you can talk to me if you’ve got something on your mind.”

Harry shook his head. “It’s the same stuff you’ve already heard. Not gonna force you to listen to it all over again.”

“I would though,” Niall reminded him.

“I know,” Harry insisted, taking another large gulp before setting his glass off to the side. “We’ll talk feelings later. I’ve gotta whoop your arse first.”

Laughing and patting his shoulder, Niall took his drinks with him around to the other end of the table, setting them off to the side. “Promise you won’t cry when you lose again?”

“I should be asking you that!” Harry laughed, grabbing his paddle and the hollow ball off the table.

The game went late into the night, both winning their fair share of rounds and calling for a best out of a growing number of matches. Inevitably, the two became too drunk to care about the score let alone finishing the game, so they called a truce and made their way into a booth while they waited for Basil to come and get them.

“So,” Niall began, face first into his folded arms resting against the table, “now that I’ve gotten you drunk, let’s do that feelings talking, hmm?”

“Was this your plan the whole time?” Harry’s speech was slower than usual, words slurring together to form a sentence he was surprised was coherent.

“That’s for me to know and you to…” Niall hiccuped, frowning at the sound. “Yeah, but I didn’t think I’d be this bad off. Beer before liquor. Rookie mistake.”

“S’what you get for taking advantage of me,” Harry murmured with a pout of his own, folding his arms across his chest.

“Whatever.” Niall’s head fell back against his arms once he’d waved his hand dismissively at the other. “You gonna talk or what?”

“What’s there to talk about, Niall?” Harry’s brows knitted together. “I’m miserable, but trying not to be so I can give the fans a good show.”

Niall turned his head to look at Harry and though he had to blink a few times to clear his vision, he finally managed to focus on the brunette. “She’s not gotten better then?”

Harry wasn’t looking at Niall though. Instead, his gaze was focused on the ring on his thumb, spinning it around over and over again. “No, not really.”

“Not really? Sounds like there’s something there.” Niall normally wouldn’t pry, but he knew Harry needed to get the words out. Harry was blocked, and it helped Niall to sort out his emotions with someone, so why not offer Harry that outlet?

“There was a brief improvement,” Harry explained, shaking his head. “Hasn’t changed since then though.”

“That’s still something.” Niall lifted himself up from the table, patting Harry’s shoulder. “Look on the bright side, at lea--”

“There really isn’t any bright side to this, Niall,” Harry scoffed, causing Niall to pull his hand back slowly.

“Sorry,” the blonde responded with a frown. “I was just gonna say that when she does wake up, at least she’s got you.”

Harry stayed quiet, the bassline of the song in the speakers matching the pounding in his head. He could already tell that he was going to be miserably hungover when he awoke the next morning, but some of the tension he’d been holding in his shoulders had disappeared.

“Thanks, Niall,” Harry finally spoke, looking up from his hand to his friend. “Sorry for snapping at you.”

“S’alright,” Niall reassured him, catching sight of his bodyguard crossing the bar floor with a stern look on his face. “Think we’re about to get lectured for leaving without tellin’ anyone.”

“I’m blaming you,” Harry chuckled low, slipping out of the booth and wobbling slightly. “You’re a bad influence, y’know.”

Once given a tongue lashing by Basil, the two were escorted out to a car that was waiting for them on the curb outside the building and taken back to their hotel. It wasn’t long before they were off to their respective rooms, but not without a warm embrace in the hall.

“Thanks for everything, Ni,” Harry murmured into Niall’s ear, giving him a squeeze before pulling out of the hug.

“Anytime, Haz,” Niall returned, sending a wink his way at the old nickname.

Harry shook his head with a fond smile before he turned and entered his room, closing the door behind him. He’d prefered spending the nights alone most of the tour, so he carefully maneuvered around the room, being sure not to trip over his own belongings while attempting to prepare himself for bed.

He’d just crawled into bed when he heard the sound of his phone vibrating in the pocket of the jeans he’d left in a pool on the floor. Groaning, he leaned over the edge and stretched himself out as far as he could go to reach it, barely latching onto the belt loop to pull them closer. He fished the phone from his pocket and swiped to answer the call without checking the ID.

“Hello?”

“Good, you’re awake.” Harry immediately placed the voice on the other end as Jeff’s.

Looking at the clock, Harry noticed it was 3:47, meaning it was well past midnight on the west coast. Jeff would never call him this late unless it was important. His heartbeat began racing as the possibilities flooded his head, forcing himself to sit upright in the bed.

“Is everything alright?” He tried to keep his voice from sounding frantic, but he’d never been good at keeping his emotions in check when he was intoxicated.

“The hospital called and I’m -- shit.” Jeff’s voice was cut off by the sound of a blaring car horn and a few muffled curse words. “I’m on my way there now.”

Harry’s eyes shot open wide. “What happened? Is Cory alright?”

“When are your next da--”

“For fuck’s sake, Jeff, what’s going on?!”

Harry hadn’t been expecting the words that left Jeff’s mouth.

“She’s awake.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have a name!! And she's awake!! Ahh!!!! How do you think Harry's going to handle the news? What do you think's going to happen when he finally gets to truly _see_ her for the first time? The possibilities are endless, really. I'm excited to hear your thoughts! You can leave them here or send them to my tumblr at [makeshiftneverland](http://makeshiftneverland.tumblr.com/ask) if you've got more in depth questions that need answering. Let's have a conversation!


	3. iii. dreaming of angels

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _"And with words unspoken,_   
>  _A silent devotion,_   
>  _I know you know what I mean._   
>  _And the end is unknown,_   
>  _But I think I'm ready_   
>  _As long as you're with me._   
>  _Being_   
>  _As in love with you as I am"_   
>  _**Angels** \- The xx_
> 
> Mid August, 2015

Jeff tried his hardest to convince Harry to wait until he sobered up before flying home, but it was already a lost cause. The minute he’d heard the news, Harry’s senses were sharper and he insisted he’d be fine as he bought himself a ticket on the next flight out. He’d let somebody know in the morning where he was -- if they didn’t find out in the morning gossip columns, that is -- but for now, his main priority was getting back to her. He needed to see her.

He knew how strange it felt waking up in a foreign place, but he couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to do so all by yourself. He should’ve been there. He had been there this whole time, but now, while he was away, was when his world decided it’d start turning properly on its axis again. The man upstairs had a real odd sense of humor.

It took two hours at the airport and six hours on a plane before he was back in LA, and then another hour and a half before he got from the airport to the hospital. He hadn’t given himself time to clean up before going in, other than quickly brushing his teeth, throwing his hair up into a bun, and spritzing some cologne onto his neck to mask the smell of beer while in the airport bathroom. He didn’t want to be completely unkempt when she first saw him, but he didn’t want to wait any longer to meet her.

Long legs carried him from the parking lot and through the halls, practically sprinting towards her room. That was when he saw Glenne standing outside of it, talking with one of the doctors. She looked up when she heard Harry’s speedy footfalls, and her face took on a tone of surprise. “Harry, what’re you doing here?”

“Is she still awake?” Harry wheezed, bending over and propping himself up with his hands on his knees while he gulped down air. “That wasn’t… That wasn’t a dream phone call, right?”

“No, it wasn’t.” Glenne frowned when she noticed the bags under his eyes, excusing herself from speaking with the doctor to pull him away from the room. “Jeff said you weren’t coming until tonight.”

“Jeff should know me better than that,” Harry spoke with a faint smirk, slowly regaining control over his breathing and standing up straight, eyes trained on the door. “You didn’t answer my question. Is she still awake?”

“She’s resting right now,” Glenne began, “but she is, yeah.”

Harry barely waited to respond, his words falling out on top of hers. “I need to see her. Have you talked to her?”

“Not yet. They’ve been running tests and making sure her vitals are steady all day. They didn’t want to overwhelm her with too many people in the room.” She started to smile. “Besides, you should be the first one of us to see her.”

Harry inhaled deeply through his nose, unsure of how to respond. He appreciated the sentiment, but he wasn’t sure if he could agree with Glenne. Of course he’d been there as often as he could throughout the process, but had it not been for him traveling down that road at that time of the night, she would’ve been fine. She’d still be out living her life and Harry never would’ve known she existed. He wasn’t sure which outcome was best. At the very least, she wouldn’t have been hurt, but what would his life be had it not been for her? Their lives would’ve been so drastically different, but his would’ve felt… Incomplete.

“Harry?” Glenne’s voice caught his attention. “There’s something you should know.”

“What is it?” Harry’s worry began to flourish, heart leaping into his throat.

“When Dr. Phelps was talking to me earlier, she said that Cory struggled with recalling things.”

“What do you mean?” His heart pounded away at his eardrums, brows creased in worry.

“They think she’s lost her memory, H.”

 _Of course. Because this situation wasn’t bad enough as it is_ , he thought.

Letting out the breath he was holding, Harry walked to the door and noticed it was ajar, cracked open the slightest bit. The lights were dimmed but it still allowed him to look inside. The tube he’d grown accustomed to seeing had been replaced with a regular oxygen cannula, the plastic tubing nestled above her lips. The beeping of the heart monitor was faster than it had been while she was in the coma and that confirmation that she was conscious was almost music to his ears. She was sleeping again, though this time on her side, curled in on herself. She looked small -- scared, almost -- like a child trying to hide from the world around her.

“Have you eaten anything yet?” Glenne asked, breaking Harry’s concentration.

“No,” he admitted, turning towards her. “I didn’t have time.”

“I’ll go get you guys something then,” she said, rubbing her thumb against his arm as she gave it a squeeze. “Just… Be gentle with her. I know you have a lot of questions, but give her time.”

Harry nodded and thanked her before she walked off, leaving him alone in the hall. He wondered if he should go into the room or stay outside until she woke up again. It had been at about ten hours since he’d gotten the news, and in that time, there had most likely been tons of people in and out of the room. She was probably exhausted from being poked and prodded like some sort of lab experiment or overwhelmed by the process. He couldn’t blame her if she was.

Carefully, he pushed open the door and took a few steps inside, being sure to keep the door cracked in case someone needed to come in after him. He walked across the room as quietly as he could, though the tap of his heeled boots against the linoleum flooring echoed in the otherwise quiet room. He found his way to the chair he’d spent many days in, settling down into it while he waited. He wasn’t going to let her wake up alone again. Not this time.

◖ ◒ ◗

Harry didn’t know when he’d dozed off, but it was the sound of an unfamiliar weak voice slipping through his subconscious that caused him to stir. Blinking awake, he shifted so he was no longer curled up in the seat -- as best as he could be, anyway -- his gaze turning towards the bed.

“Who are you?”

There she was, warm brown eyes staring directly back at him, glistening pools of uncertainty. He had expected her voice to be different, somehow. It was light, though, and a touch gravily, probably from months gone by with no use. If he could pause time, live in this moment for a little while longer, he would. The growing concern on her face, though, snapped him out of his stupor. Here was a strange man she didn’t know in her room, staring at her with a slacked jaw and look of wonder on his face. He wouldn’t be surprised if she threatened to call for security.

He slowly sat up straight, resisting the urge to lean forward and get a better look at her, but his smile grew nonetheless. “You’re awake.”

She was silent at first, looking him over, as if she were assessing whether or not he was a threat. He watched as the tension slowly fell from her shoulders, allowing her to relax, before she spoke again. “I’ve heard your voice before.”

“You have?” Harry perked up, smile widening. All those trips to book stores to find novels to read to her seemed like less of a waste now. “That’s good. That’s real good. That means you heard me.”

“Who are you, though?” The question was more urgent this time, her voice firm as if demanding an answer.

“Right, I’m so sorry. That’s terribly rude of me,” he started. “My name’s Harry. I came to visit while you were asleep. I read to you a lot -- I think that’s where you remember my voice from. They say people can hear whil--”

“Do I know you?”

Harry stopped, looking over her face. Though the question held a similar inflection to the last, he could sense the hint of desperation that tinged her words. He knew she’d have questions, but these seemed different compared to what he had expected. Then again, he wasn’t sure what he should have expected.

“No,” he answered, shaking his head. “I, erm… The first time I met you, you were already here.”

Her brows knitted together at his answer and she looked down at her fingers, clasped together in her lap and thumb scratching away at her cuticle. “Why has nobody I know come to see me yet?”

Harry wanted to reach out and take her hand to stop her from damaging her skin, but he didn’t want to invade her space when she was clearly distressed. Instead, he brought his chair just the slightest bit closer to the bed to catch her line of sight and offered what he hoped was a comforting smile. “I’m not sure. They’ll come around soon, though, I bet.”

“The doctors said nobody else’s come to visit,” she responded quickly, still averting her gaze downward. “That they don’t even know my whole name.”

“Do you know your name?” He asked, voice soft.

The room fell silent. It took a moment before she raised her eyes to meet his again, the crease of her brow and the scared look in her eye giving away her disposition immediately. “No. I don’t… I-I don’t remember.”

Harry’s heart sank. He knew that the odds of her waking up had been slim, but he’d never considered that if she did wake up that her memory would be impaired. He’d been so focused on her getting her life back that he’d neglected the one fact that could prevent her from doing just that. He hoped that she’d only lost a few moments here and there, maybe some details like the one he’d asked for, but he had a terrible wrenching in his gut that made him feel like that wasn’t the case.

“Did anybody tell you what happened?”

Cory’s fingers still twitched nervously. Her lack of response made him wonder if she’d heard his question and as much as Harry tried not to pay attention to it, her hands started to become a distraction. Reaching his hand out slowly, he placed it over hers, enveloping her smaller ones in his own. He felt her tense at his touch and he looked to her with that same reassuring smile, thumb running gently against the back of her hand. 

“We’ll take it one step at a time, then. I can tell you what the police told me about you?” he offered. “Only if you want me to. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”

He waited as she looked over his face, her eyes mainly focused on his. After a while, the tension clasping her hands together dissipated and she slowly nodded.

“They said your name is Cory,” he informed her, finger still tracing the same line across her skin. “Does that sound familiar?”

Cory looked down at their hands, the repeated, gentle motion enough to help her focus on something other than the questions racing through her mind. “Not really. I mean… Maybe a little? I don’t know.”

“Hey, it’s all right,” he cooed. “We can call you whatever you want until we know for sure.”

“No, I… I like Cory,” she replied, a faint smile on her lips. “It sounds nice when you say it.”

Harry couldn’t help but to smile in return, giving her hand a light squeeze. “It’s settled, then. We’ll call you Cory.”

There was a knock on the door and Harry was met with the sight of Glenne holding a few bags of food in her hands, smiling as she stepped hesitantly into the room. “Is it okay if I come in?”

Cory looked to Harry for an answer, one he wasn’t sure was his to give. “This is my friend, Glenne. She came to visit a lot with her boyfriend while I was away. I’m sure he’ll be ‘round to see you when he’s done with work,” he explained with a smile. “Is it alright?”

She let out a soft sigh, looking over to the woman at the door. “Come in,” she said. Though there was a smile on her face, the grip she had on Harry’s hand was unmistakable.

“Have you eaten? I brought some food, if you’re hungry,” she said, setting the bags down onto the tray table beside Harry. “I’m not sure if you’re allowed to eat solids yet or if you have to wait. Maybe I should check with the doctor.”

“What did you bring?” Cory asked, brows raised. She leaned over curiously to inspect the contents of the styrofoam containers, lifting the top of one to reveal a stack of fluffy pancakes topped with strawberries and whipped cream.

“I got a variety of breakfast foods.” Glenne shrugged and laughed. “I know if I hadn’t eaten in forever, it’s the first thing I’d want.”

“That actually sounds amazing right now,” Cory said, that beautiful smile Harry couldn’t get enough of returning to her face. “Thank you so much for this.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Glenne assured her. “Just eat up. I’ll get us some paper towels.”

Glenne left the room and Harry spent the next minute or two watching as Cory examined the food more closely, trying to decide what to eat. The inquisitive look on her face -- creased brows and bottom lip tucked between her teeth -- amused him far more than he wanted to let on. Bringing his hand to his face, he pretended to wipe his hand across it while he tried concealing his laughter.

It didn’t work, though, and soon enough, Cory’s brown eyes were trained on him, only growing more confused. “What? Why are you laughing?”

“Sorry,” he replied, the chuckled still laced with his words as he shifted in his seat. “I just can’t recall a time I’ve seen someone so curious about hash browns.”

“Is that what these are?” she asked, motioning to one of the open containers.

“Do you need help deciding?” he asked, leaning forward to get a quick look over the food. “Those are the hash browns, yeah. There’s some bacon and sausage here, looks like. You’re not a vegetarian, are you?” He paused to await a response, but when she shrugged, he shook his head and continued. “If you are, I’d stay clear of those then. Erm, what else? Oh, those are pancakes with strawberries and cream -- they look really good, actually, I may have some myself.”

“You’ll have to fight me for them,” Cory replied quickly with a small grin curling the edges of her lips upward. Harry’s smile grew more and another laugh fell from his lips.

“Oh really?” His brows raised on his forehead, an amused smirk playing on his face. “So you’re the competitive type, are you?”

“Guess so. But you still have to fight for those pancakes.”

“I’ll fight to the death for a good stack of pancakes,” Harry teased, bringing a bright smile to Cory’s face. Harry couldn’t help but fall in love with it.

◖ ◒ ◗

The afternoon came with more doctor visits and check-ups, a seemingly never ending stream of medical professionals introducing themselves and asking her how she was doing. Harry stayed by her side when he could, sticking behind when they’d wheel her from the room down to take X-rays or get blood drawn. Despite the number of tattoos he had, he’d never been the best when it came to watching needles go into skin.

Glenne had to go to work, leaving him to fiddle with the ever-increasing list of emails piling up in his inbox while he waited. It felt like an eternity had passed by the time she was brought back into her room, and it was obvious that she had had enough for one day. Before they were left alone again, Dr. Phelps informed them that her physical therapist would be around within the next hour to assess her range of motion and figure out the best treatment plan for her.

Sitting up in his seat, he offered her a soft smile. “Welcome back.”

“Thanks,” she responded with a faint smile, leaning back against the pillow. “I hope this exhaustion goes away soon. I feel like I can’t do anything without being tired.”

“I’m sure it will,” Harry reassured her. “Your body’s gotta get used to everything again, that’s all. You’ve been out cold for nearly half a year.”

Cory didn’t respond at first, but Harry could see there was something on her mind. Her gaze no longer met his and she was back to fussing with the cuticles that hung from her thumb.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, voice soft.

“Why am I here?” she finally asked, the smile fading from her face. “You said I’ve been here for months, but I don’t know what happened. Nobody would tell me and I… I can’t remember anything. So, what happened? Do you know?”

Harry’s throat felt dry and he swallowed hard in some attempt at alleviating his nervousness at the subject, but it was in vain. Despite the knowledge that it wasn’t his fault, Harry still felt guilty for everything. And who was to say that she still wouldn’t blame him for what happened to her? She had every right to do so, but he prayed beyond hope that she wouldn’t.

Taking in a deep breath, he let it out slowly, cradling her hands between his own like he’d done before. “There was an accident.” He started slowly, hesitant. “I was leaving a restaurant where I’d been with some friends. There were people with cameras following after me when I was, and they followed even after I’d driven away. I tried to avoid them -- I took them down a few decoy roads so they’d stop following, but they wouldn’t. I thought… If I drove faster, maybe I’d lose ‘em.”

He bit his lip while he paused, clearing his throat to rid it of a lump that was growing. “You were hit by one of the cars following me. That’s what the police said, anyway.” He looked to her face and found her staring at him, the bright look from earlier now dim and gone. “I didn’t know until a few days later when my publicist heard about the accident on the news. As soon as I did, though, I came right here to make sure you were all right.”

He was at her mercy now. The silence that filled the room was deafening and he awaited any kind of response to what he’d said. The events of that night sounded surreal even as he relayed the details -- he couldn’t begin to imagine how she would take them.

Her hands slipped out from beneath Harry’s, holding them closer to her chest now as she kept her eyes glued to the checkered pattern of the blanket across her legs. It stung more than the silence, to see her pull away after a bond had begun to blossom between them. He pulled away, though, allowing her the space she wanted.

“Why were people following you?” Her voice was quiet, but more than that, it was cold. It sounded nothing like the jovial tone she had when they fought over who got the last slice of bacon hours earlier.

“I’m…” he trailed off, not sure how to explain his predicament.

He hated admitting to the fact that he was famous. He’d embraced it in some ways, but the connotation was one he hated. He’d had so many advantages from it -- being able to do what he loved and see parts of the world he never would have seen otherwise, raising awareness of causes he felt strongly about, and meeting some of his idols -- but there were plenty of things that made being well-known the furthest thing from appealing; the mob of photographers that followed him nearly every time he went anywhere being one of them. He didn’t want her to see him as Harry Styles but as Harry, the terrified 21 year old boy, sitting beside her there with heart beating against his ribcage at a mile a minute and praying to God that she wouldn’t hate him.

“I’m a singer. Relatively popular one, at that,” he explained, sighing and looking to her. “It’s a constant reality, having someone outside waiting for me to come out and make their payday with a photo of me, and I hate that it’s what got you in here.”

Nothing was said between the two, but the tension grew with every passing moment of silence. She couldn’t even look at him now. Harry tried his hardest not to let it get to him, but he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t disappointed. This wasn’t at all how he had hoped their first time spent together would end, but she needed space. Glenne had told him to be gentle with her and he’d failed at doing so.

“I’ll, erm…” He cleared his throat, standing from the seat and gather up the trash left from their late breakfast. “I’ll get rid of this.”

Still nothing.

Harry sighed, but he didn’t say anything more, carrying the two plastic bags full of styrofoam containers out of the hospital room to find a larger rubbish bin than the one in the room. The door closed behind him and as he turned around, he collided with a petite woman, both of them tumbling to the ground and things clattering against the hard tiles.

“I am _so_ sorry!” Harry exclaimed, scrambling to his feet, his hand outstretched towards her. “Here, let me help you up.”

“It’s all right. Happens more often than you’d think. People just can’t see me way down here.” She chuckled, face contorting as she rubbed along the bottom of her thigh, wincing. She grabbed onto the hand offered to her and stood, dusting off her pants as she looked around them. “Now, I just have to find that damn clipboard…”

“That one?” Harry asked, pointed to a clipboard with a patient file attached to the front situated beneath her black flats.

Sighing, she picked it up from the ground and blew the pages, ridding it of whatever dirt it had managed to pick up in the few seconds it had been out of her grasp. “I swear, I’d lose my head if it wasn’t attached to my shoulders. Thanks for your… help…” Her words trailed off when she finally looked up to make eye contact with him, her eyes going wide. “You’re… You’re Harry Styles.”

“Erm.” Harry’s face flushed and he nodded, smile cracking his somber expression. “Yes, that’s me.”

“Holy shit. Holy shit!” The short-haired brunette clapped her hand down over her mouth, resisting the urge to squeal out of excitement, then quickly attempted to regain her composure. “I am so sorry, my mother taught me better than this, but you’re… you.” Laughing, she held her hand out. “I’m Annalise, I’m so sorry for freaking out on you. I’m just a huge fan of you guys. My sister and I both are, actually, she introduced me to your stuff.”

Harry resisted the laughter that threatened to break through, but he took her hand and gave it a firm shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Annalise. I should be apologising, though. I’m the one that ran into you. I’m sure I’m keeping you from something important.”

“No, you’re not. Well, I mean. Yes, but no. I’m actually going in there.” She motioned to the door he’d closed. “So, I’m not too far.” She paused, a look of realization coming over her. “Are you… Are you and the patient together? Is that why you’re always here?”

“What?” Harry was caught off guard by her question, his own eyes widening and brows creasing in confusion. When the words processed, a swift shake of his head proceeded a repeated trail of ‘no’s until he felt he had gotten the point across. “No, I’m… No. She’s a... a friend? Yeah, a friend.”

“Ah, I got it.” She mimed zipping her lips, locking them, and tossing away the key. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

“What secret? We’re really not together,” he insisted with a frown. “I’m here checking in on her and making sure all her bills are taken care of, that’s all.”

The cheeky grin on Annalise’s face was replaced with a look of adoration. “You are too sweet for your own good, Harry Styles.”

“I’m really not,” he insisted, though he gave a smile at her words. “I should let you get to work.”

“Oh, right. That would be important.” She laughed, giving a curt nod in his direction. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Harry. Will I see you again?”

“Hopefully.” Reaching down, he grabbed the bags he’d dropped in the collision, then stepped back to open the door. “Cory?”

The sound of her name caught her attention and she looked over to see him in the doorway. “What do you want?”

The hostility in her response caused his smile to fall, but he licked his lips to cover it up. “Your physical therapist is here.”

“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” Annalise asked, poking her head into the room, warm smile on her face.

“No,” Cory began, “he was just leaving.”

Harry swallowed hard, ducking out of the doorway with a quick goodbye to Annalise. He knew it was wishful thinking that she would forgive him for his involvement in all of this, but somewhere deep down, he’d thought that maybe she’d know how sorry he was for it.

Tossing the rubbish into a bin near the lobby area, he sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He couldn’t see Jeff while he was working, and the few other people he had confided in weren’t close enough to visit. He could call Niall, but what could he really say that would help in this situation that he hadn’t already been told? It wasn’t like things would magically get better and she’d be happy to see him the next time he came to visit.

He resigned himself to going back to his home in Beverly Hills and getting some sleep. Maybe the image he had built up in his mind of this moment was too good to be true. Maybe Harry had let the dreamer side of him take over for a little too long and lead him to believe that she’d find his being there and taking care of her to be enough to alleviate him of his sins. Then there was the logical thought that crept into his mind; maybe she just needed time.

If time was what she needed, time was what she would get.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In honor of yesterday being Cory's birthday, I decided I was going to upload this chapter early! Happy birthday, Cory!
> 
> What do you think about Cory so far? We've only seen a brief glimpse into who she is as a character, but are you liking what you're seeing so far? Why or why not? Do you think your opinion could change from here? I'm interested to hear your thoughts!
> 
> Hopefully you all enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to seeing your reactions. Any super detailed questions you may have can be directed to my writing blog, [makeshiftneverland](http://makeshiftneverland.tumblr.com).


	4. iv. what's mine is ours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _"You built me from a broken heart_   
>  _With bricks you made from broken parts._   
>  _You've fixed the paint, so we could start,_   
>  _So now what's mine is ours._   
>  _I still have proof in form of scars._   
>  _The first time always falls so far._   
>  _Those healing wounds heal twice as hard,_   
>  _But now what's mine is ours._   
>  _But now what's mine is ours."_   
>  _**Survivors** \- Selena Gomez_
> 
> Mid August to End of October, 2015

“All right… Let’s try this,” Harry mumbled under his breath, finishing out the line of melody he’d put down onto paper, then set his pencil aside. Chords played against the piano strings rang out in the expanse of the house moments later, the melody trickling from the keys as his fingers glided across them.

“ _But I will watch you sleeping and make sure you're all right. You will forget, forget, forget, forget me not. You will forget, forget, forget, forget me not. I’m not ready fo--_ ugh, no.”

Scratching out the notes he’d only written down moments before on the sheet music, Harry grunted in frustration. He sat at the piano in his sparsely decorated living room, blank pieces of sheet music and crumbled up pages scattered on the floor around him.

A couple of days had passed since Harry had left the hospital, and still no word from Cory. As much as he wanted to give her space, the less he heard from her meant the more anxious he became that she wouldn’t forgive him. It felt strange being in the same city and not spending his time beside her. He had gotten so used to the routine that he didn’t know what to do with himself. He’d tried writing, but nothing sounded right.

He hated being alone. Being on tour and constantly surrounded by other people made alone time almost nonexistent. That was something he was used to by now, something he needed to keep himself from going out of his mind. Sure, Harry loved his quiet time, just like any other person, but he usually had the option of spending that time with someone else. That knowledge alone was enough to gave him a sense of comfort.

With Jeff and Glenne working and the boys back in Chicago, that left Harry constantly searching for ways to keep himself occupied so he wouldn’t focus on the thoughts coursing through his head. Maybe that was another reason why he’d become a fixture at her bedside while she was asleep; she couldn’t say anything, but her presence had been enough to keep him from feeling alone.

With a sigh, Harry forced himself to stand from the piano, being careful as he maneuvered through the mess to the kitchen. Normally, he could manage to find a flow based off one phrase and crank out a new song in half an hour. He’d done plenty of it before, even while Cory had been in the coma. But he’d lost his muse when she pushed him away.

He was gulping down a glass of water when his phone rang across the room, the default ringtone echoing throughout the open room. He ran to grab it, narrowly avoiding slipping on a piece of paper on the ground, and answered just before the final ring. “Hello?”

“Harry, it’s Dr. Phelps,” the woman greeted.

“Hello, doctor. How is everything today?” Harry tried not to let the disappointment show in his tone.

He’d kept up communication with Dr. Phelps about the progress of Cory’s treatment over the course of the past few days, mainly so he could work out the financial side of it. He had been taking care of her medical expenses since the day he’d found out, ensuring she received the best care possible. He wasn’t certain if she had the money to afford how expensive health care was in this country nor if she had insurance, but he wanted her to have one less thing to fret over while she recovered.

“You’re still in LA, correct? I was wondering if you’d be able to come in today,” she spoke. “We’re having difficulty deciding on what the next best step will be in Ms. Burk’s treatment. She’s unsure of where to go for physical therapy, and... I thought you could be able to talk to her about it -- help her decide what she should do.”

Harry’s face turned to a frown at her request. “I don’t know if that’d be useful. She wasn’t fond of me by the time I left last time I was around. Does she know you’re calling me about this?”

“There are laws to prevent privileged medical information from getting into the wrong hands,” the doctor told him. “I wouldn’t be able to tell you the things I was without her consent.”

The news made Harry pause, unsure of what to say. If she knew that Dr. Phelps was communicating with Harry and allowed it to happen, maybe that was a good sign that she had forgiven him for the part he played in her condition.

“So, can you come out?” Her voice interrupted his thought process, bringing him back to the conversation at hand.

“Erm. Yeah. Yeah, I’ll, uh… I’ll be there soon.” He began to grin, saying his goodbyes before ending the call. He stared at the dark screen for a moment, debated whether or not he should call someone to express his joy, but he figured that he could save it for later when he knew for sure if she was no longer upset with him. He had already gotten ahead of himself in assuming that things would be perfectly fine once she’d woken up, and he didn’t want to make that mistake again.

He downed the remainder of his water and set the glass in the half-full dishwasher before jogging down the hall to his bedroom to change. He felt like he had to make himself look somewhat presentable.

◖ ◒ ◗

Harry was nervous, to say the least, as he walked out of the elevator and into the ward with a bouquet of flowers in hand. There was a high probability of this encounter turning out the same way as the last, though he hoped more than anything that it wouldn’t. He had had time on his drive to contemplate ways to prevent her from getting distant with him, but it was difficult to anticipate her reactions when he hardly knew her. He hoped that would change, though.

He walked the familiar corridor, palms sweaty against the stems of the flowers in hand, then came to a halt just outside of her room. Taking in a deep breath, he prepared himself for seeing her again.

“It’ll be okay,” he murmured to himself, loosening up his shoulders by shrugging them a few times. “There’s no way she could still be cross with you. You’ll smash it.”

“Smash what? I don’t have to call security on you, do I?”

Harry jumped at the voice and turned to see an amused Annalise standing beside him. “How long were you standing there?”

“Not long, but I heard your little pep talk. It was cute.” She grinned. “Haven’t seen you around, loverboy. What gives?”

“She hasn’t wanted to see me the past few days,” he replied, letting out a sigh as his heart rate managed to return to normal. “I was giving her space.”

“What for?” She raised a brow. “What’d you do?”

Annalise’s questions would surely drive him crazy someday, but he knew it was all out of good intentions. “I didn’t _do_ anything,” he began, “but… I may have upset her.”

“Uh huh… That usually means you did something. Especially if you bought her flowers to say sorry.” Annalise winked, but before Harry could respond, she had opened the door to the room a crack and looked at him. “Coming or what?”

Swallowing hard, he nodded. Stepping up behind her, he left some space between them so he was still relatively hidden by the door. Annalise wasn’t exactly short, but she came up to about his shoulder, which made it no good trying to hide his presence by using her as a block.

“Guess who,” she crooned, smile taking over her face as she knocked on the frame. “May we enter?”

Harry didn’t hear a response and could only assume that she’d nodded in reply to the request. As soon as the door was pushed open, his eyes immediately searched for her. She was seated in her bed, this time sat almost completely upright, tubes and wires no longer hanging off of her, save for a few heart rate monitors on her chest. Her curls fell around her face, the tight ringlets more controlled than the last time he’d come to see her. He could only assume they’d given her a comb and some kind of products for her hair while he was away -- he understood the curly hair struggle, but only to an extent -- but whatever the case was, she looked more fresh-faced and awake than she had before, and it made the ache he felt in his heart over not knowing how she was slowly disappear.

He cautiously stepped into the room now that Annalise was at Cory’s bedside, already taking a seat in Harry’s old homestead. The two were talking -- quite animatedly, in fact -- so he wasn’t even positive she’d noticed him yet. That was until she turned her attention to him and the chatter stopped.

“Hey,” he greeted, voice quiet and unsure. His fingers still gripped tightly around the bottom of the bouquet, his nerves growing with every moment.

“Hey,” she responded. Her voice was less strained than before, that alone causing a smile to come to his face.

“It’s good to see you again,” he said, clearing his throat, then looking down at the flowers in his hand. “I wasn’t sure what your favourite flower was, but--”

“You got those for me?” she asked. He glanced up to see the warm smile he remembered from when they argued over pancakes on her lips and he couldn’t help but to smile in return.

Nodding, he handed them to her, making sure she had a hold on them before letting go. “Thought they might brighten up the room a bit.”

“Thank you.” She brought the flowers to her nose and breathed in the light scent, smile softening. “They’re beautiful.”

“Aww, you two,” Annalise chimed in, beaming from ear to ear. “You guys are so cute together.”

“We’re not together,” they said in unison, eyes turned to Annalise, who held a hand up defensively, but dropped the subject.

“Okay, let’s get down to business.” Opening up the large folder she had in her grasp, Annalise pulled out a booklet and flipped over the first page. “To catch Curly up, here are the basics: she’ll first be doing inpatient rehabilitation for a few weeks before moving to outpatient care, so we need to find a facility that suits her best in terms of financials, personnel, and amenities. I brought a list of all of the locations in SoCal, in case you wanted to get outside of the LA area.” Handing the booklet over, Annalise smiled. “I know it’s a bit overwhelming, but if you have any questions about them, I’ll be happy to answer. I’ve worked with the majority of those that are close by.”

Cory took the list and set the flowers aside onto the tray by her bed, heaving a sigh. “I’ve looked through a lot of these already.”

“I know, but now we can work through them together,” Annalise reassured her. “The sooner we figure it out, the sooner we can get you back up and running.

“May I?” Harry asked, motioning to a space on the bed beside her.

Cory looked up and nodded after a moment, shifting to the side to provide some more space for him to sit beside her. He carefully sat down, being sure not to sit on any wires in the process, then looked down at the list in her lap. “How long will she be needing treatment?”

“That depends,” Annalise started, tucking her hair back behind her ear. “Because she’s been immobile for so many months, it could take anywhere from four to twelve weeks of regular physical therapy sessions, while inpatient, before she’s able to switch to outpatient. It depends on how she progresses through those and if she’d be able to take care of herself after leaving the facility, too.”

“Well, I could take care of her,” Harry commented, like the statement were a casual addition rather than a complete stranger offering his home to another complete stranger. He could tell that the statement caught Cory off guard when she looked at him with a questioning look on her face. He swallowed hard and shrugged before glancing towards Annalise who was glancing between the two of them. “I-I mean... the police still haven’t been able to find an address for you, and your memory’s impaired.” He bit onto his bottom lip. “I’ll be on tour until end of October, and I’ve got a few things here and there until beginning of December, but if you… Can’t remember or if we don’t sort out that detail by then, my home is open to you. It’s the least I could do.”

Cory stayed quiet as the two made eye contact. Harry could see the uncertainty in her eyes at his offer.

“I don’t know what to say,” she finally spoke after an uncomfortable silence.

Harry tried not to let the disappointment show on his face, but he was almost certain that that was growing harder with each encounter. “S’all right. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

She slowly nodded and then looked back down to the booklet, but Harry’s eyes lingered for a few extra moments before they started to go over the list of potential rehab facilities. Maybe he’d been too forward again, had tried to insert himself into a position she wasn’t ready to have filled just yet. He was so eager to form a bond with her and it was that same eagerness that kept seeming to work against him in making her distant.

It took almost two hours before they were able to decide on a facility that had all the desired amenities and had beds open for her to take, but Annalise managed to find a room for her in a facility that was close to Beverly Hills. The knowledge that Cory would still see a familiar face in Annalise throughout treatment after she left the hospital was comforting and made deciding where to go easier.

Annalise had left to discuss the decision with Cory’s case manager, leaving the two alone in the room for the first time since she’d asked him to leave. There was silence, and though it wasn’t hostile, it was still uneasy. Harry couldn’t place the feeling until he noticed Cory avoiding eye contact.

“Well… Suppose I should head out, then,” he said, shifting out of his seat and stretching his limbs out. “I’ll see you again soon.”

“I’m sorry.”

The apology caught Harry off guard, and he looked to see her picking at her cuticles again, like she had been last time. “What for?”

“Being so cold with you after you told me what happened,” she replied, bringing her gaze up to meet his. “It was a lot to take in and, instead of trying to process it, I shut down. I didn’t know how to say sorry, so I told Dr. Phelps she could keep you updated on everything. I’d hoped maybe you’d come back sooner, but I’m glad you did eventually.”

Harry’s face brightened with a smile at her words and he stepped over, reaching down to take her hand and stop her from fidgeting. “You don’t have to apologise,” he reassured her. “I’m only glad you don’t hate me.”

“There wasn’t really a reason to.” She shrugged, leaving her hand in his. “Annalise showed me who you are and the things you have to deal with on a daily basis. You’re as much of a victim of this as I am.”

It was like a weight had lifted off of his shoulders at her words. He felt wrong for feeling relieved, but she understood how crazy his life had been the past few years, even if it was only a brief glimpse on her part, made him feel like less of a terrible person than he had the last couple of months.

“I wouldn’t say _as_ much.” Harry chuckled.

“I don’t know. I may have been in here the whole time, but so were you. And you had to deal with people saying terrible things about you -- I didn’t,” she reasoned.

Harry shook his head, lips still turned up in a smile. “Don’t think you’ll be able to convince me otherwise.”

Cory, though smiling, rolled her eyes and gave the back of his hand a light smack. “Let me win for once.”

“You got the pancakes last time!” he exclaimed through laughter. “I’d call that a win.”

“True. You didn’t fight very hard for them, though, so I’m convinced you let me win.”

“Will you ever be satisfied?” he laughed. “Then the minute you’re out of here, we’ll fight over more pancakes than you’ll know what to do with so you can win fair and square,” Harry said with a final nod.

“That’s a lot of pancakes. I’m excited already.” Cory grinned.

Harry had already forgotten he had any worries about seeing her again. Seeing her seemed to have that effect on him.

◖ ◒ ◗

Harry had spent his last off days with Cory, helping her to get situated into the new rehabilitation facility with ease, before he reluctantly had to leave for tour again. He made sure to leave his phone number for her -- in case she got lonely and needed to talk to someone -- and bought a few things to make it more like a home than a hospital room. The windowsill that moved across nearly the entire far wall was filled with old, classic books, along with the ones he’d read to her while she was asleep. She’d said she preferred them over movies, but he still left a few of those behind too, just in case.

He’d been gone for a week now, and Cory found that she missed him more than she thought she would. She couldn’t place why, especially when she still barely knew him. Maybe it was the familiarity of his face, the warmth that he brought to any room he was in, the soothing lilt of his voice as he rambled on about whatever story he decided to read to her that day, or the way he held onto her hand when the world was too much to handle on her own -- maybe she just missed him altogether, and maybe she’d never admit it.

They spoke on the phone almost every night. There were a lot of missed calls at times when he was on stage -- she assumed he was, anyway -- and a few times she interrupted him sleeping, thanks to timezones, but he never got upset with her for it. He always sounded happy to hear from her, regardless of the time of day or what he was doing. She began to look forward to their nightly talks, him telling her all about what happened during that date of the show, her telling him about her progress and wishing she had more to share. He didn’t mind, though. He never did. He was simply glad to listen to her talk.

“That’s all for today!” Annalise clapped her hands together, grin spread across her face. “You’re a beast at these exercises. You sure you were immobile for months? I’m starting to doubt it.”

Cory was breathing heavily and a thin layer of sweat covered her body, but Annalise’s mood was infectious and brought a wide grin to her face as well. “I’d say I’m positive because I have time I can’t account for, but that applies to my whole life right now, so that’s not a reliable measure.”

She was about a month into her rehabilitation and by all accounts was progressing well. Annalise was always encouraging whenever Cory would stumbled or when she had had too much, which made it easier to get through the grueling sessions that worked hard at her, and now she was at a point where most of the daily exercises weren’t a major struggle.

“Well, you’re doing incredibly well. You might be able to get out of here sooner than we thought,” Annalise responded, jotting down a few notes onto her paperwork, then brought a water bottle over to where Cory sat, handing it to her.

That caused Cory’s smile to fall slightly, but she thanked Annalise as she took the bottle from her, cracking it open. “I could if I had a place to go.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Annalise made a face. “I forgot Harry’s not back yet.”

“Even still, I’m not sure I want to stay with him,” Cory said softly, unsure.

“Really?” Annalise looked to her, head tilting to the side. “I thought you guys were on better terms now.”

“We are, but…” Cory trailed off, shrugging. “I don’t know.”

“I’m sure you do know. Maybe we can talk about it over lunch,” she suggested with a smile.

“You’d want to eat the lunch here?” Cory asked with a laugh. “I mean, it’s not bad, but there’s not much when it comes to options.”

“I was thinking I could check you out for the afternoon once you get cleaned up,” she explained. “I’m supposed to meet up with my sister for lunch and shopping, but the more the merrier.”

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to intrude on your time together… And I wouldn’t even have money to buy anything.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got that covered. Besides, I think you and my sister are closer in age, so you two will get along just fine,” she reassured her with a pat on the shoulder. “I’ll get your outing situated with the main office. You go get cleaned up, and I’ll meet you up front.”

Cory’s smile grew and she nodded, standing from her seat and making her way carefully over to the walker they insisted she use -- she felt like she didn’t need it anymore, but she wouldn’t argue with the experts. She got to her room, freshened herself up with the help of one of the facility’s nurses, and before she knew it, Annalise’s car pulled up outside of a restaurant named Chili’s that looked incredibly festive on the outside.

“I hope you like to eat. There’s so many good things here, Haze and I usually order a bunch of stuff and share it, then take whatever’s left over home so we’re set for a few days,” Annalise explained, moving her sunglasses to sit on top of her head and shutting down the vehicle. “You’re free to get whatever you want, by the way. Don’t even worry about money today. I want you to have a good time.”

“I can have a good time without spending a ton of money,” Cory replied, but she smiled at the sentiment. Annalise was out of the car and around to the other side by the time Cory managed to get out, helping her inside. 

“I think she’s already here…” Annalise started, her words trailing off while she looked around the restaurant for her sister. In the corner of the room, a hand shot up into the air and waved towards them from a mostly empty booth, save for the girl with long, wavy hair who was trying to catch their attention.

“Is that her?” Cory asked, motioning towards the dark-haired girl across the way.

“Yes! Good eye.” Annalise helped her towards the booth, her grin echoing the one on her sister’s face. “I see you got started without us.”

“You mean this little ol’ thing?” she asked, taking a sip from the margarita that sat in front of her. “Figured if I had to sit and wait for your butt to get here, I may as well.”

“We weren’t even running that late, shut up,” Annalise said with a laughed, then helped to settle Cory into the empty side of the booth. “Haze, this is Cory. Cory, this is my sister, Hazel.”

“Pleasure to meet you,” Hazel greeted, reaching her hand out to take Cory’s and giving it a good shake. “And can I just say that you are probably one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen?”

Cory’s face flushed and she ducked her head down, avoiding eye contact despite the smile that came to her face. “That’s very sweet of you, but I’m sure you’ve seen mo--”

“Don’t, shhh. Just let me bask in your beauty for a minute before you start denying it.” Hazel propped her chin in her hands, giggling. “How do you get your skin so smooth? I need to know your secrets.”

“I wish I knew,” Cory responded with a shrug, bringing her gaze back up to meet Hazel’s. “I’ve, uh. I’ve been out of commission for awhile, so I guess it’s a natural thing.”

“Damnit. Why couldn’t I have been blessed with good genes?” Hazel asked Annalise, who bumped her with her hip to get Hazel to slide across the bench to make room for her to sit down.

“I’m telling Mom you said that,” Annalise commented with a smug smirk.

“No! Then she won’t send me her recipe book.” Hazel glared.

“Should’ve thought about that before you insulted our genes.” Annalise shrugged, picking up a menu and looking through the plethora of options.

“You’re the actual worst, Nana,” Hazel groaned, taking a long drag through her straw. Cory had to resist laughing, holding up the menu to cover her face before she actually got to searching over the options, until she heard Hazel speak up again. “How do you two know each other?”

“Well…” Annalise lowered her menu some, making eye contact with Cory. “That depends if she’d be comfortable sharing.”

“Oh, I don’t really mind.” Cory smiled some, though she was clearly unsure of how to word it. “I, uh… I was in an accident a while ago, and Annalise is helping me recover.”

“Girl, I would not have been able to tell.” Hazel laughed, sitting up and grabbing a packet of sugar from the bin at the end of the table. “But you’ve definitely got the best physical therapist out there working on you. Not that I’m biased or anything.”

“You just called me the worst not even five minutes ago,” Annalise reminded her with a shake of her head, eyes still scanning her menu.

“You are the worst, but that doesn’t reflect on your job skills,” Hazel reasoned, opening the package, dipping her pinky into it, and popping it into her mouth.

“Seriously, Haze? Sorry about her -- I keep telling her that her sugar obsession isn't healthy, but--”

“I don’t care,” Hazel sang along to a tune that sounded all-too familiar to Cory, but she couldn’t place it. “We’ve all gotta die of something. I’d rather go out in sugary bliss than live life eating food that tastes like cardboard.”

Their banter was like this all throughout lunch, between mouthfuls of food and conversation ranging from the latest celebrity gossip to questions about Cory that she’d answer to the extent of her current knowledge about herself. They had enough leftovers for Cory to box some to take with her, and she let them sit in the backseat of the car, along with Annalise and Hazel’s couple of boxes while they made their way through the nearby shopping center. Annalise insisted that Cory let her know if the walking around was too much for her and that they could head back at any time, but Cory was enjoying her time out of the facility and having too much fun with the two to want to go back any time soon.

“Here, try this on,” Hazel suggested, dangling a black sequins crop top over the dividing wall of her and Cory’s dressing rooms. “You’d pull this off way more than I could.”

Cory took the garment and examined it, humming softly in thought as she hung it up on the rack with the other pieces the girls had picked out for her. “I’m sure you looked great in it, Hazel.”

“No, I promise you I looked like a beached whale,” Hazel laughed, her words muffled as she changed into another top. “Also,” Hazel began, shimmying into a pair of skinny jeans before she could muster up the energy to speak. “You wouldn’t happen to know someone named Carter Pratt, would you?”

Cory paused, running the name over and over in her mind to see if it sparked anything. She bit onto her bottom lip and shook her head, realizing she needed to audibly respond due to their barrier. “I don’t think so. Why? Who is that?”

“He’s a socialite, kinda like the Kardashians and Jenners,” Hazel explained.

“... Should I know those names too?”

“You don’t need to,” Annalise chimed in from the large ottoman outside of the two rooms where she browsed through Twitter on her phone. “Their entire family’s a mess.”

“Besides the point! I was asking because you have a striking resemblance to this girl he used to date,” Hazel remarked, examining herself in the mirror once she’d managed to get the jeans on properly. “I wanted to know if you knew who I was talking about before I said anything.”

“Afraid I don’t,” Cory responded with a frown. “The name does sound familiar, though. Maybe if I saw a picture, I’d recognize him.”

“Girl, trust me. You wouldn’t be able to forget that face. Boy is fine,” Hazel crooned, stepping out of the dressing room and showing off her outfit to Annalise.

Annalise made a face at Hazel, shaking her head. “I don’t think amnesia works that way.”

“You never know. I’d like to think some people are too hard to forget,” Hazel replied, stepping back into the dressing room to change again. “Can I ask you something else, Cor? Feel free not to answer if it’s too personal or whatever, but I’m curious.”

“Sure. What’s on your mind?” Cory asked, though there was a nervous feeling that began to build up in her with every passing moment.

“What’s it like? Not remembering anything?”

Cory stayed quiet for a few moments, putting a pause in her changing as she tried to think of how to word her answer. In all honesty, she didn’t know what she could compare it to. She had no memory or no idea what it was like to remember things easily. She was essentially a blank slate, but was that a good thing?

The silence must have tipped off the girls, because before she could really respond, Annalise quickly changed the subject. “Did you think more about where you’ll be staying when you switch to outpatient?”

“Not really,” Cory admitted, thankful for the change in topic. “I don’t have many options to choose from right now.”

“If it didn’t go against all these conflict of interest policies, I’d offer up my spare bedroom,” Annalise said, pursing her lips. “But I don’t think it would be too bad staying with him.”

“Staying with who?” Hazel asked, interest piqued. “Does Cor already have a boyfriend?”

“No, I don--”

“She may as well with how he looks at her,” Annalise remarked with a grin and a giggle. “I mean, he apparently sat at her bedside every single day while he was here.”

“What?” Cory opened up the door and looked out at the oldest of the group, brows furrowed. “He did?”

“Yeah, you didn’t know that?” Annalise looked surprised. “Everybody in the ward was talking about it.”

Cory didn’t respond, but her mind immediately went racing. Things made sense now; the reason why he was so excited for her to wake up in the first place, why he even cared that she was upset with him before, why he made every attempt at making sure she was as comfortable as she could be throughout her recovery. He had said he came to check on her as soon as he found out, but she had no idea he’d been there every day since then.

“That’s so romantic! You better get on that before I do, because _damn_. Who’s the lucky fella?” Hazel asked, stepping out of her dressing room, back in her regular clothes and the others draped over her arm.

“His name’s Harry,” Cory replied quietly, smile growing on her face. “Thank you, Annalise.”

“For what?”

Cory gave her a grateful smile. “You helped me make up my mind.”

◖ ◒ ◗

Cory was back in her room before the ten pm curfew with a handful of bags of clothing that the girls had bought for her to make her transition into civilian life easier when the time came. She promised that she would pay them back when she could, but they both insisted that it didn’t matter to them whether she could or not.

Settled into bed, she grabbed the phone off of the side table and dialed the number she’d committed to memory. She knew he usually got off stage closer to midnight, and it was closing in on one in the morning where he was tonight. It was the last show of the North American tour, but she hoped he would still be around to talk rather than out partying.

The phone only rang once before he picked up. “Hey, you.”

“Hey,” Cory greeted, her face lighting up at the sound of his voice. “How was the show? Did you smash it?”

Harry laughed at her use of his lingo. “We did, yeah! It was a good show. Glad to get a few days of rest in before we’ve gotta jet to the UK,” he said, chuckle laced in with his words. “How was your day? Do anything exciting?”

“Actually, yes,” Cory began with a grin, biting down onto her lip. “I went out with a few friends.”

“A few friends?” He sounded confused, and Cory couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.

“Annalise took me out to lunch and shopping with her sister,” she explained. “I think it was supposed to be some kind of reward for doing so well.”

“You’re definitely doing well, from what they’ve told me,” he spoke, soft smile evident in his tone. “I’m proud of you.”

“Thanks. She said I might be able to move to outpatient sooner than expected.” She paused for a moment, clearing her throat. “If the offer is still on the table, I’d like to stay with you when that time comes.”

Harry tried his hardest not to cheer in excitement, biting down on his knuckles to keep his exuberant response at bay. “Of course the offer’s still there. I wouldn’t leave you on your own.”

“I’m starting to realize that,” Cory replied, voice soft. “I just wanted to let you know before I couldn’t reach you.”

“Thank you. You’ve made my night.”

“Seriously? You performed in front of thousands of people and that’s what made your night?” Cory chuckled low.

“Well, that wasn’t bad either,” Harry responded with a chuckle of his own. “But knowing I’ve got something to look forward to when I get back makes the wait to see you again more worth it.”

Cory couldn’t stop the smile that took over her face, but she wasn’t sure she even wanted to stop it. Even though she hadn’t been in the best of circumstances, things were good for now -- and good was all right with her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this update took so long. It was the last few weeks of the semester, so everything was taking up my time and I was stressed. I also may or may not have gotten a brand new idea for a fic that I'll be writing once I get over halfway through this one. I'm really excited about it, and hopefully you will be too.
> 
> What did you think? Are you glad that Cory's warmed up to him again? How do you think things will go when they finally move in together when he gets back? I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Any overly detailed questions you may have can be sent to my writing blog, [makeshiftneverland](http://makeshiftneverland.tumblr.com).


	5. v. to find where you begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _“I'm right here when_   
>  _You need someone to see._   
>  _It's not speak_   
>  _Or forever hold your peace._   
>  _It's alright to take time_   
>  _And find where you've been._   
>  _You are perfect porcelain.”_   
>  _**Porcelain** \- Marianas Trench_
> 
>  
> 
> Mid to End of November, 2015

Flying between London and Los Angeles always took a toll on Harry. Not only was it hard to sleep on flights when he had to worry about fans sneaking pictures of him when his guard was down, but the eight hour time difference between the two cities threw him for a loop every single time. He thought he’d be used to it by now, but as he set his things down in his bedroom, he heavily contemplated the pros and cons of falling face first onto the bed and sleeping until the next morning.

He couldn’t, though. Not yet, anyway. Not only was today his return home from tour, it was the day Cory finished her inpatient treatment and would be able to move in with him. Glenne had already decorated one of the spare bedrooms with amenities and enough casual clothing, consisting of sweatpants, jumpers, and plain t-shirts, for Cory to laze around in while she got settled. He had errands to run and minor cleaning to do to make the house as presentable and comfortable a place for her to stay as possible -- something she could consider home.

That didn’t stop him from lying down slowly, legs dangling over the edge and feet planted on the floor as he relaxed. Pulling out his phone, he turned it back on, his lockscreen flooding with messages and notifications from apps he hardly used. Even though he could’ve checked all of the messages he had missed in the last thirteen hours on the ride back, he wanted a few more precious moments of peace and quiet before being brought back to the real world. One notification in particular stuck out to him as they stopped rolling in, and he quickly unlocked the phone to check his voicemail.

There was one from the number of the clinic -- the one Cory used to call him throughout the past two months -- and he thought that hearing her voice could help to motivate him in getting the ball rolling on his long list of responsibilities. He pressed play, then brought the phone to his ear, waiting to hear the sound that had brought him so much serenity.

“Hey, it’s me.” Cory’s voice flowed through the receiver, his face instantly softening when he heard it. “I’m pretty sure you should have landed by now, but maybe your flight ran late. I hope it was all right. I’ve been watching too many movies lately, and now the idea of flying terrifies me,” she admitted with a chuckle, then she paused. “Call me back when you can -- if you have time. I miss your voice.”

The message ended all too soon for his liking. With a sigh, Harry let the phone fall to the bed, not wanting to bother with the remainder of the messages and dampen his mood. He much preferred the idea of reveling in the moment, hands folded across his stomach.

Despite the distance, they had somehow managed to form and maintain a bond that grew stronger every day. Harry was used to keeping people at arm’s length for that same reason; his schedule hardly ever allowed him much time to properly get to know someone, and it hurt less when he had to say goodbye. Yet, he found himself wanting to make the effort with her. She didn’t have any false pretenses going into this with him. She didn’t have a certain image to uphold that kept her from being open and honest with him. In fact, there had been many occasions when she’d felt the need to let him know exactly what was on her mind, especially when he’d broken his foot -- he recalled the word ‘dummy’ being thrown around quite a bit -- and it was refreshing to have someone like that around him that wasn’t related to his work. She got to know him before she had any real idea of what he did or the magnitude of his position, and Harry was convinced that that was a key component in why he felt so calm with her.

It also made him hesitant to change things now. What if things didn’t work the same way after she moved in? What if they clashed more than they got along, living under the same roof? What if it turned out that she was a sleepwalker who had an affinity for cooking while asleep and she accidentally set the house ablaze? Perhaps some of his concerns were unrealistic, but he’d heard stories.

The main reason he was worried, though, was because when she moved in, she would be taking the last step towards entering his world. Tour was over, but he still had interviews and events to attend until the end of the year to promote _Made in the A.M._ He’d already done a round of it in London following the end of tour, only to head to LA for more. If she came along and was photographed, it would make her vulnerable to rumors, to the fans -- and those who liked to call themselves that, despite their venomous words towards himself and anyone he was associated with -- even to the same mess of paparazzi that had brought her into his life in the first place. Cory had already been through so much that he was wary of it all, but she insisted she would be fine.

_“I’m a big girl,” she’d said. “If I can get hit by a car and live to tell about it, I can survive anything.”_

He had to admire her strength. If he had been in her shoes, he wasn’t sure he’d be handling it nearly as well as she was handling it. He dealt with a lot of things in the same old Harry way; detachment. It made it easier to get through the hurricane that his life had become when he felt like he wasn’t hurting anyone else in the process. Cory had broken the mold in a way he wasn’t able to handle through his usual means of processing, and that left him far more attached than he could ever let on.

That was why he did the things he did for her, why he felt the need to protect and take care of her. Maybe some day he could tell her, but for now, he stayed silent, like he always did, and went about his life the best he could.

Grabbing his phone once more, he sent a few texts to Jeff, Glenne, and a few other friends to confirm the plans for the following evening, then sat himself up and dialed her number, bringing the phone to his ear. He figured he should let her know he was back in the country to keep her from waiting much longer.

“Harry? Is that you?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the enthusiasm in her tone when she answered the phone. “Hello, love.”

“Finally.” She sighed. “I was beginning to get worried that you’d gone missing.”

“I’m all right, I promise,” he assured her, smile coming to his face. “I only got home a few minutes ago, so I’m settling in now, then going to the shop in a bit. Do you have anything you’d like me to pick up for you?”

“Oh, Harry, you don’t have to do that,” Cory said, and Harry was certain he could tell she was frowning into the phone.

“I know, but I’m going to anyway, and you can’t stop me,” he replied with a laugh. “Have you got toiletries and all that?”

Following a sigh, there was some movement on the other end of the line as Cory surveyed her belongings. “I could use some things for my hair?”

“What sort of things?” Harry asked, standing and making his way down to the kitchen. Once there, he found a pen and a notepad, starting to list items he needed as he waited for her response.

“There’s this really nice smelling stuff that Hazel brought me… I think it’s called Garnier?”

“That’s a brand, yeah. Is it the conditioner?” he asked.

“Yeah, a leave-in one. Hazel said it’d help with keeping my hair soft, and it’s easy on the finances,” Cory explained.

Harry smiled and jotted down the item. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with her, haven’t you?”

“I have, yeah,” Cory responded, her voice brightening more, if that were even possible. “She’s awesome. She and one of my hall mates have been catching me up on everything I missed while I was asleep. Well, not everything, but you know what I mean.”

“I do, and that’s good! Means I have less to do. I should thank her.” Harry’s response was cheeky to match the grin on his face as he filled in more of his list.

“You’re not off the hook completely, bub. I knew you did music, but you never said how _huge_ you guys are. What gives?”

“Suppose it slipped my mind,” he said with a shrug. It was only a half-lie, really. He was so used to everybody already knowing who One Direction were -- knowing who he was -- that it felt normal not to mention it. Then again, he didn’t want to overwhelm her with the knowledge either. “Can you forgive me?”

“Only because you’ll have to show me some of your music. Plus, I have to if I want to live with you, don’t I?” she teased.

“Not really. The house is big enough, you wouldn’t have to see me if you didn’t want to.” He chuckled.

“I’m going to get lost, aren’t I?”

“It’s quite possible. I got turned around a lot when I first moved in.” He smiled. “Did you need anything else? What sort of foods would you like?”

“You could always wait until I get there to do all this,” she suggested. “It might trigger some memories if I see the products in person.”

Harry paused, thinking over what she said. “Y’know, you’re right. We can go tomorrow and get anything else you may need. I’ll order takeaway tonight.”

“Indian, please,” she spoke with a giggle. “Annalise and Hazel have been raving about this one place… I’ll have to get the name from them. God, I can’t wait to eat something other than hospital food again.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure your first night here is incredibly special,” he assured her, smile growing. He was trying his hardest not to give away his plans, but he had every intention of making tonight an evening she wouldn’t forget.

“I can’t wait. When will I see you?” she asked.

“Erm… Let me do a bit of spot cleaning, then I’ll head your way. How’s that sound?” he proposed.

“Perfect,” she responded with a grin. “I’ll get my stuff together.”

Hanging up following their exchange of goodbyes, Harry took a look around his room, eyes landing on the bags he’d dropped in the corner of his room and lingering for a few moments. He considered putting away his laundry for a good while before he decided he’d bother with the washing later when he ran low -- he still had plenty of clothes in the closet he could choose from for now. After pulling his hair up and out of his face, fastening it into the bun that sat high atop his head, he stood from his seat and began the process of prepping for her arrival.

◖ ◒ ◗

The sun was falling in the sky by the time Harry had cleaned, washed, and made himself presentable enough to pick Cory up from the facility. He was anxious to see her again, but despite the jitters in his fingers, he couldn’t wipe the grin from his face. It had been too long since he’d seen her, and he wanted nothing more than to do just that.

Before he’d left, he offered to get her a temporary mobile, but she insisted she was fine with phone calls. He didn’t mind it -- it was nice hearing her voice at the end of a long day -- but he would be lying if he said he would have liked the convenience of being able to send pictures back and forth. He knew she was doing well, though, thanks to Annalise and Hazel’s love and care. Jeff and Glenne had stopped in a few times to visit, but he knew that most of the credit had to go to the girls.

Cory had told him about a few of their outings, the girls having taken her out shopping and to get mani-pedis. She was particularly excited when Hazel offered to do her hair for free, since the girl was apparently quite good with hair. He wasn’t sure how much different she would look now from when he left, but one thing he knew was that she was always captivating; he would never be able to prepare himself for her beauty, no matter her appearance.

Harry pulled his Range Rover into a spot towards the front of the building, not wanting her to have to walk too far to get in. By all accounts, she had progressed significantly, but he couldn’t know for sure what her status was until he saw for himself. Climbing from the car, he made his way into the lobby and to the front desk.

At the desk sat a round-faced woman with short, tight, greying curls, a set of bifocals perched on the bridge of her nose that she adjusted as she looked at him. “Welcome to Ridgeview, how are you doing this evening?”

“I’m fairly well, actually,” he responded, the grin still plastered on his face as he scrawled his name into the visitor log. “I’m here to pick up a friend of mine. Cory Burk?”

“Oh, yes! Cory’s been such a pleasure to have around. It’ll be sad to see her go,” the woman lamented, but she stood from her rolling office chair and waved for him to follow her to the hall. “If you go down to the right, just about halfway, her room will be 1097. Can’t miss it.”

“Thank you very much,” Harry replied, giving her a small bow with hands held together in front of him before making his way towards her room.

With every stop he took, he grew more anxious. He knew he was excited to see her, but what if he was far more so than she was to see him? It wouldn’t make sense, given she sounded enthusiastic about seeing him when they’d been on the phone, but he couldn’t help worrying that something would happen to steer their progress in the wrong direction. He was used to self-sabotage.

The door was already open as he walked up and he noticed her things neatly packed away in a few pieces of luggage -- items she’d no doubt bought on one of her shopping sprees -- and a few bouquets of flowers still blooming on the ledge where he recalled the line of books had been before he left. He didn’t spot her right away as he took a step into the room, knuckles tapping against the wooden door.

“Anybody home?” He called, glancing around the otherwise empty room. There was no response.

Brows furrowed, he checked his watch to make sure he’d gotten the timing right and he hadn’t interrupted a final physical therapy session. It was close to the end of visiting hours, so he knew he wasn’t early. He stepped back out into the hall and glanced around for a moment, then heard chatter coming from another room a few doors down, one of the voices all too familiar to him now.

He walked towards the voices and slowed to a stop a few feet from the door, listening in. Cory was in the room, that was for sure, but what she was doing caught Harry by surprise. He heard her reading to whomever was in the room with her.

Glancing inside, he saw Cory settled in beside a young girl who couldn’t have been more than eight years old, the book of fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm open on her lap. It was one of the many books that Harry had gotten at a secondhand bookstore to read to Cory while she was asleep. He’d favoured the tale of Sleeping Beauty, even having given her the nickname Rose from the name of the princess in the story. He stood beside the doorway and watched as she read, the young girl’s head on Cory’s shoulder.

“There she lay and was so beautiful that he could not take his eyes off her. He bent over and gave her a kiss. When he touched her with the kiss, Little Brier-Rose opened her eyes, awoke, and looked at him kindly,” Cory read, looking down at the girl beside her whose face had lit up with a grin. She continued the remainder of the story, her voice lilting with the fantastical words of the story as everyone awoke from their magical slumber. “And then the prince's marriage to Little Brier-Rose was celebrated with great splendor, and they lived happily until they died.”

“I love when you read to me,” the little girl commented as she raised her head from Cory’s shoulder to look towards her. “Do you have to go? I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too, Bean, and our story time,” she responded, leaning over and pecking her forehead. “But I’ll come and visit when I can. Promise.”

Cory held out her pinky and the girl wrapped hers around it, smile growing again. “Are you really going to be living with a prince? Can he come with you when you visit, too? I wanna meet him!”

“Something like that, yeah,” Cory replied with a grin. “I’m sure I could convince him to come say hi.”

Harry wrapped his knuckles against the door, attempting to suppress a smirk that wanted to push its way to his face. “Am I interrupting something?”

The girl’s eyes widened at the sight of him and she clapped her hands down over her mouth to keep the scream that left her from being too loud. “Oh my gosh! That’s-- you’re--”

“Hello,” Harry greeted with a chuckle. “Is it alright if I come in?”

The girl nodded with zeal, looking up at Cory to see if she had any idea what was going on. Cory, on the other hand, was resisting the urge to laugh as she closed the book and set it aside. “You’re going to give the girl a heart attack.”

“You _know_ him?!” she exclaimed in amazement.

“Remember that prince I was telling you about?” Cory chuckled, shifting to stand from the bed. “Harry, this is Sophie. She’s a very big fan of yours and has told me so much about you.”

“Is that so? Hopefully all good things.” He chuckled, making his way over towards the bed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sophie.”

Sophie was starstruck, staring up at him in wide-eyed disbelief, repeatedly mumbling “oh my gosh” under her breath. Harry couldn’t help but to laugh low, sitting down on the edge of the mattress.

“Mom won’t believe this, she’ll think I made it up, oh my gosh.” Sophie’s words left her mouth quickly, tongue stumbling over her thoughts.

“We should probably get a picture, then, yeah? We can’t have her thinking that,” Harry suggested, smile growing when she nodded. “Have you got a camera or should I take it with my phone?”

“I have a camera! It’s a little one, but it works,” Sophie explained, motioning to the small table off to the side where she had a few personal belongings scattered about.

Cory grabbed the camera and turned it on, allowing it to load as she looked to the two. “What do you say?”

“Cheeeeese!” Sophie and Harry cheered in unison, big smiles painted on their faces. The camera clicked and Cory examined the picture, handing it over to Sophie to see it. “It’s perfect.”

“I’m thinking she outshines me in this one, don’t you?” Harry asked Cory, who nodded in response with a fond smile.

“Nobody can outshine you, Harry,” Sophie dismissed his comment, setting the camera down. “I can’t wait to show mom tomorrow. She’s going to be so sad she missed it. You’re her favorite.”

“Am I now?” Harry chuckled. “Well, I’m honoured, really. I’ll come ‘round again with Cory some time, if I’m not too busy. Maybe I can meet your mum then. I’m afraid we can’t stay too much longer, though, otherwise I’d love to chat some more.”

“Aww.” Sophie pouted. “Take good care of Cory, okay? She’s my best friend and she said you’re a prince, so act like it.” The little girl wagged her finger at him before holding out her arms. “Can I have a hug before you go?”

Harry resisted the laugh that threatened to break forth, but leaned in and wrapped his arms around her small frame, rubbing his hand against her back. “She’s in good hands. A prince has to take care of his princess, after all.”

He glanced over in time to see Cory’s cheeks darken into a shade of red before she turned her head, the newly styled loose waves blocking him from seeing her face. He pulled out of the embrace and stood from the bed, waving goodbye to Sophie as he followed Cory from the room. “So… a prince, huh?”

“Don’t let it get to your head,” Cory said with a chuckle, but she still averted her gaze, smile soft. “She asked why I was there, so I had to tell the story from the beginning. Well, the beginning as I know it. I told her you were the prince that rescued me from my eternal slumber. Seemed fitting, all things considered.”

“S’all right, you don’t have to explain a thing,” he reassured her, gathering her belongings. “But I suppose a prince would carry a princess’s belongings to the car. If you’ll follow me.”

Harry made his way from the room before Cory could protest. With one final sweep of the room, she said a silent goodbye to the place she’d called home for the past two months, driving off towards her new abode.

◖ ◒ ◗

“So, exactly how much did Sophie and Hazel tell you about what I do?” Harry asked, spoonful of rice tucked in his cheek as he spoke.

There was a spread of Indian cuisine across the coffee table in the living room, the two seated on opposite sides of it and enjoying whatever they could get their hands on. Cory was cross-legged, having changed into a pair of dark sweatpants and a tank top, while Harry’s legs were kicked out with ankles crossed, clad in the short pair of navy blue shorts and his Packers jersey. He figured if they were going to spend her first night in, the least he could do was make sure she felt relaxed enough to do so. What better way to achieve that then by playing soft rock music through the speakers and propping open the glass doors facing the backyard to let the air from outside flow through the house.

“There was a lot,” Cory began, setting her fork down to take a sip from her water glass, “but Hazel focused mainly on the headlines you guys have been making lately, and Sophie talked a lot about how upset she was when Zayn left. She showed me how to do the dance from the Best Song Ever music video, though, if that means anything.”

Harry made a face, but chuckled all the same, swallowing before he spoke. “Did you get to listen to anything we’d done?”

“No, which is a crime against humanity, apparently. You should’ve seen Sophie’s face when I told her I’d never heard any of your stuff before.”

“I’m sure if you heard something, you’d recognise it,” he remarked, giving her a look with a smirk on his lips. “Not to brag or anything, but we’re kind of a big deal.”

“So modest,” she joked, shaking her head. “Well, are you going to show me your music or what? Don’t make me find it myself.”

“All right, all right.” Standing himself up from the floor, he shuffled towards the bookcase that went along the entire wall, grabbing the CDs from his collection, then moving to his sound system. He popped open the _Midnight Memories_ case and put the disc into the CD player, allowing the opening of the album to build into the song she’d mentioned before. “You’ll have to show me that dance of yours!”

The sound of the guitars and drums kicking in filtered through the speakers and Harry watched as Cory concentrated on the music, her head bobbing along to the beat. Her face lit up as the words began, pointing into the air. “Is that you?”

“Yep, that’s me.” He chuckled.

“You sound so young!” She laughed, clapping her hands together.

“I was still a teenager when we recorded this, that’s probably why!”

Cory began to sway to the beat, her hands clapping along quietly with the bass drum. Her eyes were closed, her face taken over by an irreplaceable smile that made his heart stop for a second. She looked so content in that moment, the sounds bringing her to a new place all together, and to know he had even a minuscule part in that at all made him more proud than he could even say.

The song ended and it was evident by the look on her face that it was all too soon for her liking. “Can we listen to another one? Maybe something more recent where you don’t sound like a child,” she teased with a laugh. “Not that it’s bad or anything.”

“You think I sounded like a child there?” Harry asked, brows raised in amusement. “I’ll show you what a child sounds like.”

He pulled out the disc and switched it with _Up All Night_ , the opening riff of the first song picking up almost immediately. Harry stood from the floor, playing an air guitar along with the track. “This was our first single. I was 16 when we released this. _This_ is a child.”

Cory was trying her hardest not to get carried away while Harry did his dramatic rendition of his parts in _What Makes You Beautiful_ , her hands covering her mouth and shoulders shaking with the force of her suppressed laughter. By the bridge of the song, she was on her feet and dancing around the living room, singing along with the words into an imaginary microphone and flipping her hair dramatically over her shoulder.

Harry joined in her dancing, his laughter causing him to double over more than once, until the song ended and moved onto the next.

Cory plopped herself down beside the CDs, looking over all of them and giggling at the covers. “You guys look so serious in this one,” she commented, holding up the case for _FOUR_. “Which one would you recommend on here?”

“Well, there’s a few I like,” he said as he knelt down beside her, pushing his hair out of his face. “But biased cos I helped write it, but put on track three.”

Cory nodded and put the disc into the player. “This had better be a good one, Styles.”

Harry grinned. “Trust me, you’ll like it.”

Standing as the opening played and Niall began singing, Cory stayed still for a few moments while she processed the beat of the song, her foot tapping along. “This is very different.”

“It is,” he responded with a nod and a raised brow. “A good different?”

“I love it a lot,” she replied, smile growing.

She started humming the melody as best she could, eyes closing as she took in the music. Cory couldn’t place the feeling, but the song brought forth a familiar warmth inside of her -- it was almost like she was listening to one of her favorite songs again for the first time. Her body started moving as the drums became more prominent, and Harry watched as her face brightened when his solo began. He wasn’t sure if the action was an unconscious one or not, but knowing that his voice could make her light up the way she did was indescribable in how it made him feel. It felt right. It felt _good_.

Reaching out, she took his hands and began to move his body along with hers when the chorus took over. Harry happily obliged and followed her lead, grin plastered across his face as they danced to the remainder of their discography. He watched her move gracefully around the room, singing along to the words as she learned them and the smile never leaving her face. It was hard to believe that only a few months ago, this vibrant personality had been locked away from the world indefinitely.

◖ ◒ ◗

“Are you sure you wanna do this?”

“How many more times are you going to ask me the same question?”

When Harry had brought up the events he had scheduled over the next few days, Cory was all too excited to get herself involved and be introduced to everyone she’d heard stories about. She had attended the tapings of Jimmy Kimmel and the New Year’s Rockin’ Eve performance, but what she hadn’t stopped anticipating was the American Music Awards that were a few days later. Anybody who was anybody was going to be there, and after being filled in on all of the need-to-know information about who was big right now by Hazel, Cory was raring to go.

“Who do you think I’ll get along with the best?” Cory asked, tapping the top of her legs to the beat of the song on the car radio as he drove towards the hotel they were all getting ready at beforehand. “Niall seems really great from what I got to know of him.”

“They’re all lovely in their own ways,” Harry remarked, shrugging. “I suppose you’d get on best with Niall, maybe Liam if he’s not being too overbearing. Louis’s a bit hot-headed, and stubborn at times as well, but otherwise he’s all right.”

“You sound like you really love them,” Cory commented, the sarcasm evident in her tone.

Harry raised a brow and glanced towards her for a moment before looking at the road again. “I do, really. When you spend most of the year around them, though, sometimes you grow a bit tired, that’s all.”

“Mhm. You’ll get tired of me soon enough too,” she said with a soft chuckle, looking down at the phone in her hands that read off the next direction. “Thank you for getting me my phone back.”

“No need, love.” He shook his head. “They said they’d done what they could with it, and now I can send you updates all day and annoy you. It’s a win/win.”

Cory rolled her eyes, but still smiled, scrolling through the few text conversations she had in her phone. She’d already done a survey of the minimal contents of her phone to try and trigger some sort of memory, but nothing seemed to spark. As disappointed as she was, she tried not to let it show. She didn’t want to give Harry another thing to worry about, because she knew that he would.

That’s all he seemed to do lately, worry about her. She understood why he did it, but sometimes she couldn’t help but feel the constant pressure of needing to be okay to lull him into a sense of comfort. She wanted to try and push forward and in order to do that, she had to get herself up and out there, regardless of if she was okay or not. It’s why she insisted so heavily on going to this event, despite his warnings of how overwhelming it could be. She knew what would be there, thanks to his explanations, and she’d had time to prepare herself. Now all she needed to do was let go.

“Think this is it,” Harry murmured to himself, pulling into the parking lot of the hotel. He pulled the car around to the valet, climbing out and greeting the driver who waited for them.

They grabbed their belongings -- a garment bag with the dress she’d bought that Harry draped over his shoulder and a kit of accessories -- and made their way towards the suite number he’d been texted. The closer they got to the room, the more commotion could be heard flooding out into the hall. There was clearly music playing, but the sound was muffled beneath the buzz of chatter from the inside of the room.

Harry pushed open the door that was slightly ajar and made his way inside, taking her hand casually to lead her inside. He wasn’t sure why he’d done it, exactly, but the warmth of her hand in his own helped to calm the growing anxieties he had about the day.

“‘Bout time you got here!” Lou shouted, then motioned for Harry to towards the clothing rack lining the opposite wall from the empty station she sat at. “Hurry up and get dressed, I’ve gotta make sure you look nice.”

“Nice to see you too, Louise,” Harry commented, releasing her hand, making his way towards the clothing, and sorting through to find the suit his stylist had picked out for him.

Cory stood awkwardly by the entrance, glancing around at all the activity. The other three guys were sitting around a phone, watching some video and laughing their heads off, while other members of the team that she’d met in passing the last few days went about their usual duties. She wasn’t sure where she should go in the process.

“Hiya, salt!” Lou greeted, catching her attention. “Glad you made it. I was tellin’ Harry he should let you come along. You can hang out with me backstage.”

“Hi, Lou,” Cory responded with a smile, stepping closer towards her. “I’m glad I did too. I’m thinking it should be interesting.”

“That’s for sure. Never know what to expect at these things -- so many egos in one room,” she laughed, standing from the chair and tucking her phone into her pocket. “You getting ready with us?”

“Harry’s got my dress,” Cory commented, motioning to the bag that he was still holding. “I’m still not really sure how to do my hair or makeup.”

“I’ve got you covered, babes,” Lou assured her with a grin. “Go get changed, I wanna see your dress!”

Cory laughed and nodded, grabbing her clothing from Harry and making her way into the bathroom to change. Harry had given her his card to buy whatever dress she had wanted for the event, and despite Hazel and Annalise’s insistence on getting a dress that made her look like a princess, she wanted to stay relatively simple in her attire -- the night wasn’t about her, after all.

The dress was a deep blue with a white accent border across the bottom hem, a black sheer material running around the end of the dress and followed by another white border, coming to just above her knees. The straps were thin on her shoulders and the neckline a little deeper than she was used to, but overall, the dress was modest and something she felt comfortable in. She accompanied the dress with a pair of white platform wedge sandals and a simple silver necklace draped around her neck.

Once she was fully clothed, she stepped out into the room again, fingers holding the back of her dress closed as best she could. She looked around to find someone who wasn’t occupied, eyes falling on Harry as he stood mostly dressed, white dress pants with a floral design on them and crisp black dress shirt tucked in around his waist. In the few days she’d been living with him, she’d come to realize that he had quite the eccentric taste in clothing. She had to admit, though, that regardless of how ridiculous his outfits would have looked on anyone else, he somehow managed to pull them off with flair.

Harry glanced over towards her when he heard the door open and the conversation he was having with his stylist slowed to a halt. “Gimme a minute, yeah?” He murmured, making his way over to her and smiling. “You need help?”

“If you don’t mind?” She asked, turning so her back faced him. “I couldn’t reach.”

Harry took the zipper between his fingers and pulled it up, making sure it was securely fastened before he placed his hands onto her bare shoulders. “You look gorgeous, Cory.”

“I don’t even have my hair or makeup done yet,” she commented as she looked over her shoulder at him, smiling faintly.

“Still. You’re gorgeous either way.” He leaned in and placed a light peck to her cheek before stepping away, heading back to his stylist to finish getting ready.

Cory bit onto her bottom lip to try and keep back her smile, but she noticed Niall’s eyes on her and the smirk on his face, forcing her to look away and head over to Lou. She was sat in the chair and getting her hair done when Niall slinked his way up beside her, leaning against the wall.

“Good to see you again, Cor,” he greeted with a slight nod, that same smirk on his face. “How ya been?”

“I just saw you two days ago, Niall,” she responded with a small laugh.

“And a lot can happen in two days!” He knelt down beside her chair, taking her hand between his own. “Things good with you and Harry?”

“Yes…” She allowed her voice to trail off, unsure of whether or not she should humor the line of questioning.

“Good, glad to hear it. Y’know… If you two were to, say… Go on a date or somethin’, you’d tell me, yeah?”

“Niall!” Cory pulled her hand from him and shot him a glare as best she could without moving her head.

“What?” He asked with a laugh, trying not to draw too much attention to them. “I saw that look you got earlier.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Cory faced forward, watching Lou pretending not to listen, but she looked as though she were holding back a comment herself. “You, too? Seriously?”

“I didn’t say anything,” Lou replied, but she stopped what she was doing to lean down to join the conversation. “But y’know he’s not shut up about you since you’ve been around.”

Cory didn’t say anything. She was under the impression the two were pulling her leg, but judging by the way they carried on, she could tell it wasn’t some elaborate joke they were trying to pull on the new girl. “Are you serious?”

Niall nodded. “You’re all he talked about on tour. Said he’d wished he’d gotten you a phone or computer so he could see your face. Think he really likes you, love.”

“He doesn’t know anything about me,” she began, “I don’t even know anything about me.”

“He knows the important things -- that you’re a good person, and you make him happy.” Niall smiled and stood up straight again, stretching out his knee. “Think about it. Get back to me later.”

She did think about it. In fact, for the rest of the night, it was the only thing on her mind whenever they interacted. Viewing his behavior through that new lens, Cory was convinced that Niall had opened up a door to a whole new realm of potential for where their relationship could go.

It wasn’t something she had wanted to think about, necessarily. She still had her physical therapy to worry about, still struggled to remember even the slightest detail from her past -- the last thing she needed to do was to add an inkling of romantic tension on top of all of that. But with Harry, it never felt forced. She never felt like he was pushing anything on her, especially forcing a relationship past the one they shared as friends and housemates. Maybe that was how it was meant to stay.

Cory was walking backstage, lost in her thoughts as she followed along behind Lou to the green room when she bumped into someone, causing her to stumble some before she caught herself.

“I’m so sorry, I-I wasn’t watching where I was going,” Cory stuttered out, looking up to see who she had run into so she could apologize properly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” the dirty blond-haired man sighed, dusting off his arm. “Should watch where you’re going next time; you could ruin someone’s clothes if you’re not... careful...”

He looked up, and when he did, his voice trailed off into nothing, eyes glued to her face. Cory couldn’t help but find his face familiar. There was something about his defined jawline and the way his bangs swept across his brow that made her think that he was Hazel’s type -- maybe one of the celebrities she’d told Cory about -- but she couldn’t place him. It almost seemed like he recognized her, too, but before he could say anything further, Cory’s name was being called over her shoulder.

“Coming!” She called back to Lou, then looked to the man. “I’m glad you’re okay. Again, so sorry for running into you. Have a great night!”

“Wait, Cordeli--”

The words had barely left his mouth before she disappeared into the crowd of people. He tried to follow after her, but it was to no avail. He frowned and pulled his phone from his pocket, sending a simple text out.

_“I found her.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so much fun to write!! I loved finally getting to explore more of their dynamic together, as well as open up some more doors to her past. Who is this mystery guy that she ran into at the AMAs? What do you think his connection could be to her?
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed it and please let me know your thoughts.


	6. vi. found something worth living for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  _"So, let's start carving our own path_   
>  _One day, it will become a road_   
>  _And we'll drive down to the countryside._   
>  _Oh, look how the colours are changing._   
>  _New stars appear in the night sky._   
>  _This heart is starting to come to life_   
>  _Oh my love, love is beginning._   
>  _We have found something worth living for._   
>  _I've got my head in the clouds._   
>  _Oh my love, love is beginning now."_   
>  _**Love is Beginning** \- Imaginary Future_
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> End of November to Mid December, 2015

The award ceremony had gone off without a hitch. The boys performed their newest single _Perfect_ , and they even took home a few awards that night, making for an all around successful evening. Cory didn’t realize how long the whole process really was, but she was fascinated by everything and seeing how it all came together, even if the buzz around her became too overwhelming at times. Harry stuck with her when he could, making sure she was alright and that Lou was watching after her when he had other obligations to attend to, to which he was always shooed away with an ‘I’ve got it’ and a scoff from the silver-haired woman.

The real highlight of the night for Harry, though, was coming off of the stage to see Cory’s beaming face smiling back at him. He had never thought that seeing someone look at him the way she did would cause the butterflies to stir in him, a sensation he hadn’t felt since he was with Taylor a few years back. Sure, he had had a few flings with girls here and there since his last major relationship, but none of them had made him feel as light and carefree as Cory did.

The boys had finished up in the Awards Room when he was finally given the go ahead to head home. Cory had been waiting outside the doors so as not to draw any major suspicion her way -- Harry warned her about photographers at these events, how they could be like vultures looking for any bit of controversy to report on -- when she saw his familiar figure making its way towards her.

“There’s my winner,” Cory called, pushing herself up from where she leaned against the wall, and held open her arms for a hug.

Jogging the last bit of the way towards her outstretched arms, Harry wrapped her up in his embrace and lifted her from the ground for a moment before he was ordered to put her back down. He obliged the request and instead nuzzled his nose into her neck, grin splitting his face. “How’d you enjoy the show?”

“You were so good!” She cooed, her arms around his shoulders and giving him a squeeze in excitement. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks, love.” Harry couldn’t help but chuckle at her words, placing a kiss to the side of her head as he pulled away completely. “I know these things are rather long. Hopefully it wasn’t too boring for you.”

“It was fine. I got to meet Nicki Minaj, which is a big deal,” she assured him, bright smile lighting up her face. “Lou and I had a bet going that somebody was going to trip, though, so I’m out $20.”

With a raised brow, he looked at her curiously. “And who did you bet was going to trip?”

“... Not important.” She resisted the urge to giggle, but that alone was enough for Harry to send a playful glare in her direction.

“You’re on your own with paying that one back,” he commented, chuckling despite the narrowed eyes. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and began leading her off from the room. “You ready to go? Could go for a good burger right about now.”

“Well, when you mention food, of course I am,” she laughed, slipping her arm through his. “Lead the way.”

“We’ll have to go around back,” he informed her, heading back towards their green room to get their things. “There’s usually photographers all over these things, but they’re more limited around there. Don’t want you being bombarded.”

Wherever he went, Harry was usually bombarded by a horde of fans and paparazzi alike. He had gotten used to it, regardless of how much he dreaded it every time he stepped out of the house, but he knew that it would be a new experience for Cory. If anything, he didn’t want it to trigger any painful flashbacks of the night she was hit. He wanted her to regain her memories, but not like that.

He led her out once they’d gotten their things, thankful that the event security had held the photographers away from the access point. It was dark out and the flash of their bulbs would’ve done more harm than good. Holding open the door for her, he helped her up and slipped in behind her, asking the driver to take them to the closest In-N-Out.

“I hope you had fun tonight. Lou loves you, as do the lads. They all yelled at me for not introducing you sooner,” he chuckled low, running his fingers through his long locks to break them free from the spray holding it together.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly conscious for very long before you had to leave again,” she joked lightly, glancing over towards him and smiling. “I had a good time, yeah. They’re all great people. I’m glad you had that support when you needed it.”

Harry stayed silent for a few moments, his smile softening at her words. Carefully, he reached his hand over to take his and threaded their fingers, giving her hand a squeeze. “They knew how much it meant for me to see that you were alright, that’s all.”

“Still.” She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. “Good people surround themselves with good people.”

Harry’s thumb lightly caressed her own as they relaxed, and he watched her take in the city passing by the windows. There was something about her that calmed him. Even after the craziness of the evening -- of the past year, even -- he didn’t feel any of the normal anxieties that would hold him hostage long into the night. Her hand in his own was an anchor holding him down, reminding him that everything was alright now -- _she_ was alright -- and that she would keep him grounded.

◖ ◒ ◗

Having to work around the holidays was never something Harry enjoyed doing, but it had become a staple of the past few years of his life. There were loads of things Harry could complain about; the airports were always more crowded than usual, people were often more impatient, and the likelihood of there being bad weather interfering with the flights was always a worry of his, especially around Christmas. On top of it all, he was away from his loved ones during the time of year when he wanted nothing more. He always reminded himself to be grateful. After all, he got to do what he loved to do for a living. There were plenty of things that could be worse, but it didn’t stop him from dreading the flights in November and December.

He had barely a day to unwind from the AMAs before he was meant to be on a plane to Mexico for another awards show. He had wanted to take Cory along with him, but he was reminded of her need to have a passport to leave the country after he began making plans. She reassured him that she would be fine for a few days, but he couldn’t help feeling that she was simply telling him what he wanted to hear so he wouldn’t feel badly.

With his things packed and sat beside the door, Harry sighed. As much as he loved his job, he was looking forward to the break coming up. Not only would he get a chance to relax, but he’d also finally be able to spend one on one time with Cory without having to rush out the door the next day.

Cory. He had barely seen her all afternoon save for when she brought lunch to him in his room. Walking down the hall, he stopped just outside of her bedroom to find the door cracked open, the melody of instrumental music drifting through the air.

“Cory?” Harry called, hoping to catch her attention with a gentle rap of his knuckles against the door. “May I come in?”

No response.

With a furrowed brow, he pushed the door open to look into the room. He half expected to find her napping on the king-sized bed in the guest room, but the room was empty. Harry’s nerves were set on edge when he noticed the door to the bathroom suite on the opposite end was closed. Maybe she just hadn’t heard him, he thought, as he stepped into the room and made his way towards the bathroom door.

“Cory? You in there?” Stopping by the door, he pressed his ear against the wood and listened for any hint of noise. He wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but the sound of sniffling wasn’t it. Was Cory… Crying?

Carefully, Harry twisted the doorknob to see if the room was unlocked and he sighed in relief as it popped open. He covered his eyes with one hand -- just in case -- before he opened the door a bit more, clearing his throat to catch her attention. “Cory, are you alright?”

“Oh!” Cory jumped ever so slightly, Harry’s voice startling her out of her trance-like state, and she quickly wiped her hand beneath her eyes in an attempt to wash away the tears, though she merely replaced them with drops of bath water. “Uh… Y-yeah, I’m okay, Harry.” She insisted. “Just needed to take a bath.”

“I hope you don’t mind me prying,” Harry began, stepping slowly into the bathroom, being careful not to trip with his vision still blocked by his hand, “but it sounded like you were crying earlier.”

“You heard that?” She asked, voice soft.

“I did, yeah.” Harry could smell the familiar scent of the lavender bath salts he’d purchased wafting through the air and he was glad he’d decided to cover his eyes and allow her some privacy. Now he had to resist the urge to peek through his fingers to check on her and make sure she was being honest with him. The doctors had told him when she’d woken up that the adjustment would no doubt take its toll on her, and he was worried that he’d been oblivious to how everything had been affecting her thus far in the midst of the whirlwind that was his life.

Swallowing hard around the lump in her throat, Cory looked down into the mound of bubbles that floated on the surface of the water. Harry had done so much for her already up to this point; not once did he ever decide to give up on her, even when things seemed the bleakest, so she figured the least she could do was tell him what was on her mind. That’s what he was there for, right?

“You don’t have to cover your eyes,” she finally spoke after the silence between them grew deafening. “There’s enough bubble bath in here. You wouldn’t be able to see anything anyway.”

Harry peeked through his fingers, then let his hand fall back by his side, gaze settling on her. Cory was leaned against the edge of the tub, her hair held above her head in a messy bun to keep it away from the warm bath and neck exposed to the otherwise cool air in the room. It was clear by the redness in her eyes that she’d been crying and the thought alone was enough to bring a frown to his face.

“Do you need to talk?” He asked. Looking around for somewhere to sit, he settled on the step that led up to the tub, so at least he would be close to her and she wouldn’t need to shout halfway across the room. Whatever had her upset, he was sure it wasn’t something she’d want to be shouting anyway.

“I don’t want you to feel bad,” Cory replied, turning her head and allowing herself to look at him for the first time now that he was right beside her.

“Why would I feel badly?” He asked, brow furrowed.

“I know you blame yourself for all of this,” she said softly, making a careless motion with her hand. “I don’t want to add onto that.”

“Cory…” Harry trailed off, reaching a hand up to tuck a few curly strands of baby hair behind her ear. “I want you to be able to talk to me about how you’re feeling. Don’t think about me or how it’d make me feel. Your feelings are important, too.”

Cory searched his face, looking for any signs that he may only be saying that because it was what he was supposed to say in this situation, but all she found was the genuine concerned written into the crease of his brow and deep in his green eyes. She nodded and tried piecing together her thoughts carefully, not wanting to say something she didn’t mean.

“I’m frustrated.” Pursing her lips, she turned away again. “With myself, with this whole situation -- I’m just extremely frustrated. I can hardly do anything for myself, which means I can’t do anything to help or to give back to you when you’ve given me so much already. I can’t drive because relearning how to walk again was hard enough, so I can’t get groceries or run errands. I can’t take you to the airport when you have to go somewhere, and when you go now or when you have to go back to London, I can’t even go with you because I have no passport since I don’t know who I am. I don’t know who I am, and I don’t know how to remember that, so I can’t do anything and it’s so frustrating having to sit and wait and pray that your mind will somehow start working again.” Sniffling, Cory tried to blink away the tears, but it was no use. “Who I am, what I did -- all of that is locked away in here somewhere and I don’t have a key. I just want to remember _something_ , Harry. Something that will set me down a path where I can finally get some answers.”

Harry stayed quiet as he listened, his eyes never once leaving her face. He had never been in her position or anything close to it, so he couldn’t even begin to imagine what she was going through. This whole time, he had thought she was taking the situation much better than expected when she’d really been keeping all of this locked away inside.

“How long have you felt like this?” He asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know,” she admitted, looking back over to him, though her vision was hazy with the tears that still sat along her waterline. “When you said you couldn’t bring me along to Mexico was when it really hit.”

Harry let out a deep breath through his nose, unsure of how he should respond. She was right to assume that he’d feel badly of she told him, but he tried not to let it show as he brushed his thumb across her cheek to wipe the tears that trickled down them. Without another thought, he stood from the step on the tub and motioned for her to slide forward. She looked confused, but she did as he asked, watching as Harry stepped into the tub and sank down behind her, clothes and all.

“Harry, you’re going to ruin your cloth--”

“Shh, s’alright. Clothes can be replaced,” he reassured her, wrapping his arms around her midriff, careful to avoid touching anything he wasn’t meant to. Though it took her a few moments, Cory settled back against his chest, her head leaned back on his shoulder and face turned into the crook of his neck.

Turning his head, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and lingered there for a few moments. “M’sorry, love. Mid month, I won’t have to travel anymore for work. I’ll be home before you know it, and I’ll take you with me the next time I can, I promise.”

“I know you will,” she mumbled.

She wished his words had been more comforting, but she wasn’t sure if there was anything that could make it any better. It wasn’t that he was leaving that was the issue, anyway, though she knew that she’d miss him more than anything. Being alone was what scared her. Being left alone with her thoughts -- with the overwhelming pressure she put on herself to try and remember her past without any chance at an escape.

Harry was good at that, providing an oasis from the noise in her head. He had a calming air about him, one that helped to remind her that, even though the world continued to turn and she felt like she was falling further behind each day, that there was no need for her to rush. It didn’t matter whether or not she could piece her world back together; he was right there beside her, and he would try his best to shoulder that burden with her.

“How about this,” Harry began, catching her attention once more. “I’ll make it up to you over Christmas. Plan a special trip, just the two of us, yeah?” He offered with a soft smile, dimple pressing into his cheek.

Though a faint smile came to Cory’s lips, she shook her head. “You don’t have to do that, Harry.”

“I want to,” he insisted. “After the year you’ve had, you deserve something good.”

“That’s what I’ve got you for.” Cory’s smile grew. “Besides, your year hasn’t been any easier than mine. At least I didn’t lose any sleep.”

Harry couldn’t help but to chuckle, even if the humor was a bit dark. She did have a point. This whole experience had been trying on him, some would even say unnecessarily so. He technically wasn’t at fault for the accident and he knew that, but had he not been there at that exact time, she wouldn’t be sitting in his tub, crying over being unable to remember something as simple as her middle name. He couldn’t ignore his part in it, even if it was an indirect one, and there had been plenty of nights he’d been unable to fall asleep because she was on his mind. Even after she woke up, that was still the case, but for a different reason altogether.

“I’m still going to do something special for you. Promise.” Closing the space between them again, he pressed his lips gently to her forehead and allowed them to linger.

Cory’s eyes closed and she leaned into his kiss, finding more comfort in the touch than in the promise of something extravagant. Even though she didn’t know who she was or what she liked before her accident, the concept of overindulgence didn’t appeal to her. Being with Harry at all, especially over the upcoming holidays, would mean the world to her.

They stayed like this for a long while, Harry’s strong arms wrapped around Cory’s frame and his head rested against her own. The only thing between the two of them were his soaked t-shirt and black skinny jeans, the warmth from his body keeping her from shivering as the heat dissipated from the bath water. Neither of them wanted to speak to break the comfortable silence that had fallen between them, but his impending departure sat heavily in the back of Cory’s mind.

“Do you have to go tonight?” she asked, the question quiet and hesitant. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know the answer, but she had to prepare herself for being left alone again. Maybe she’d see if she could stay with Annalise or Hazel until he returned.

“Not tonight,” Harry responded, his voice a soft murmur against her forehead, finally pulling back to look at her properly. “I don’t leave until morning. Do you want to do anything before bed?”

“Maybe a movie? We should probably get out of here before it gets any colder,” she replied with a soft chuckle. “Cover your eyes, please.”

Harry smiled and nodded in acknowledgement of her request, unraveling himself from around her and bringing his hand up to shield his eyes. “You’re good to go, love.”

“No peeking either,” she warned him. Once she’d made sure there weren’t any cracks between his fingers, she stood from the water and carefully climbed from the tub, grabbing her towel and drying herself off.

While she did that, Harry tried maneuvering in the bath in an attempt to unplug it all while continuing to cover his eyes and allow her privacy. He somehow managed to find the stopper and tugged it out of place, the pipes gurgling as the water drained. “Are you decent?”

“Yes, you can open your eyes now.”

Harry did as he was told, glancing over to see Cory wrapped up in a fluffy white towel, letting her hair down from the bun she’d pinned it in. The dark waves fell neatly against her bare shoulders and Harry had to stop himself from staring, shaking his head and climbing from the tub, his sopping wet clothing sticking to every inch of his body.

“You go on and get set up without me,” he told her, pulling his shirt over his head and ringing it out into the now empty bath tub.

“Does that mean I get to pick the mo--?” she asked, turning to face him. She paused as she watched him peel his jeans from his legs, caught off guard by how toned he was. She stuttered as she tried collecting herself enough to finish her question, trying her hardest -- and failing -- not to stare. “The, um… do you want me to pick the movie?”

“Whatever you want,” he insisted, smiling as he brought his gaze up to meet hers. “I’ll be there in a bit. Need to toss these in the dryer.”

Nodding, Cory vacated the bathroom at a speed she wasn’t even aware she could reach, wanting to remove herself from a situation that could potentially turn at any moment. Ever since Lou and Niall had told her that they were sure Harry felt more than friendly feelings towards her, that was all she could think about. After she’d run through the initial questions that ran through her mind, like how could he possibly feel anything for someone he barely knew, she finally settled on one that she wasn’t entirely sure she could answer: would it really be so bad if he did?

In the entire time that they’d known each other, Harry had treated her with so much kindness and respect. It never felt like he was pushing anything on to her, either. He was patient with her in her journey to rediscover herself, and if he still hadn’t brought up how he felt for her on his own, maybe he was waiting before he added yet another thing onto her plate. Even with all of the stress that came with her current condition, nights like these, where it was just the two of them talking about anything under the sun or in a comfortable silence, Cory wondered what it’d be like to keep doing this for a long, long time.

◖ ◒ ◗

“So, how are things with you and Harry?”

Cory looked up from her nails to Hazel who sat on the opposite side of the coffee table. It had been two days since Harry had left for the UK where he’d be for a little over a week to finish up the last of his commitments before the band’s hiatus could start. Hazel had offered to let Cory stay with her while he was away and she certainly wasn’t going to turn down that offer. She knew it was inevitable that the questions would start rolling in, but Cory was honestly surprised it had taken two days for her to finally bring it up.

“Things are good,” Cory responded, fanning her fingers of one hand out against the top of the table, gently blowing air onto the hand she’d already finished. “But I’m assuming you want more detail than that, right?”

“You know I love my gossip, girl. Spill the beans!” Hazel laughed, running the varnish over top of the navy blue polish on Cory’s nails.

“I mean… Living together is a new experience, that’s for sure,” she started, shrugging. “I don’t think we’ve been in the same place long enough to figure out if it’s going to work long-term, but so far, it’s been good. There was…” Trailing off, Cory shook her head a bit before waving her hand in a dismissive manner. “Nevermind.”

“There was what?” Hazel asked, putting the bottle of polish down and looking at her with a serious expression. “You can’t dangle that extra information in front of me like bait on a hook and not expect me to bite.”

“I can, but you probably won’t let me live it down until I tell you,” Cory corrected with a smile, though it slowly fell as she tried to figure out how to explain the moment they’d had the other day. Cory had tried not to think too much of it, but with the frequency of Harry’s texts and picture updates of his time away and his insistence that they FaceTime as he fell asleep each night, it was difficult not to.

“Did something happen?” Hazel asked, brow raised, then eyes going wide as an idea popped into her head. “Did you guys make out?!”

“What? No! No, there’s been no kissing on the lips of any kin--”

“But there’s been kissing of other kinds?” Hazel’s face was lit up with a grin, a squeal falling from her as she clapped her hands together excitedly. “Tell me everything, girl!”

“Oh my God.” Cory laughed, sliding her hand down her face, trying to compose herself. “It’s nothing serious, Hazel.”

“Kissing is almost always serious in some form or fashion,” the brunette said, shifting to sit on her knees and lean forward against the table. “Spill.”

“There have been a few kisses on the forehead…” Cory spoke, her voice a murmur as she avoided Hazel’s stare. “And one on the cheek when he left.”

“What was the context of these forehead kisses? I need everything, Cor, c’mon.”

“I was upset last week about something and he was trying to make me feel better.” Cory wanted to keep the explanation as vague as possible, not too keen on opening that can of worms again. “We, uh… Took a bath together, sort of.”

“WHAT?!” Hazel looked like she was about to pass out and Cory hadn’t realized it was possible for such a small girl to produce so much noise. “You what?! Oh my God, if you two don’t end up getting together at some point, I’m gonna be SO mad. Who takes a bath together except infants and lovers?!”

“He still had his clothes on!” Cory quickly added, though it was clear the damage had already been done.

The apartment door opened, Annalise coming into the apartment with two large bags of Chinese food in hand. Hazel shot up from where she sat, rushing over to drag her into the living room. “I need you to sit down ASAP because Cory just dropped a bomb and I need to not be the only one freaking out about it.”

“What kind of bomb?” Annalise asked, brow raised as she set the bags down onto the coffee table.

“The kind that involves her and Harry basically schmanging.”

Cory’s brows furrowed and she laughed at how ridiculous the word sounded. “You know I have a hard enough time knowing things as is. What does that even mean?”

“Schmanging is Hazel’s way of saying you got busy,” Annalise translated with a shake of her head, going to the kitchen.

Hazel watched Annalise in bewilderment, raising her hands into the air. “Why aren’t you freaking out right now?!”

“Because knowing you,” Annalise began, grabbing plates from the cabinets, “when you say ‘basically’ in front of anything, you’re exaggerating.”

“Not all the time.” Hazel huffed, crossing her arms and plopping down onto the couch. “They may as well have been.”

“It was just a bath,” Cory sighed, looking over towards the older girl. “Baths aren’t a romantic thing when one person’s still fully clothed, right?”

“So, you took a bath with Harry and one of you was still dressed?” Annalise asked, bringing the utensils and plates to the living room and setting them down. “Was there any touching involved?”

“He sat behind me and held me,” Cory replied, cheeks flushing some as she thought back to it. “And he kissed my head once or twice.”

“See?! You’re even blushing! That’s not nothing,” Hazel defended, reaching into one of the bags to find her food.

“Okay, I wouldn’t go as far as to say they were schmanging, but that’s definitely not nothing,” Annalise agreed, sitting cross-legged at the table, adjacent to Cory’s position. “Do you like him?”

“Of course I like him.” Cory was confused. “What kind of a question is that?”

“I don’t mean like as a friend,” Annalise corrected, scooping some lo mein onto her plate and looking towards Cory when she was finished. “I mean, would you be okay with him kissing you for real?”

“That mouth to mouth business,” Hazel chimed in, raising her brows twice in a suggestive manner. “The real deal. The money shot.”

“Ignore her,” Annalise said, shaking her head. “Why were you even in the bath together in the first place?”

“I was upset, and I read online that taking a bubble bath usually helps with those things,” Cory explained, taking the container of wonton soup and opening it. “He found me after he was done packing and we talked about what was bothering me, then he got into the bath with me to hug me.”

“I see…” Slurping the noodles into her mouth, Annalise looked like she was thinking. “How long were you in there like that?”

“I don’t know,” Cory admitted. “Maybe 20 minutes at most?”

“You were naked in his lap for 20 minutes and he didn’t try to make a move?” Hazel asked, eyes wide.

“I’d argue him getting into the bath was a move, but there wasn’t any other touching? At all?” Annalise added.

Cory shook her head. “No other touching. He promised he would do something special for me for the holidays and we watched movies the rest of the night until we fell asleep.”

The sisters looked at each other and communicated silently through their gazes before Annalise turned towards Cory again. “You never answered my question, Cory.”

“Which one?” Cory asked, brow raised.

“How would you feel if he kissed you?”

Cory stayed quiet, stirring her spoon around in the soup, unsure of how to answer the question. Part of her didn’t want things to change between her and Harry. She liked the way things were; she felt safe with him, taken care of, and like she was the most important thing other than his work. She couldn’t recall many times where he’d leave her side unless he absolutely had to, even if she insisted it was okay for him to spend time with his friends he hadn’t seen in months. That didn’t stop that voice in her mind that told her she could have all of that and more if things kept progressing in the way that they were. If liking Harry more than as a friend included wanting all of that, then maybe she did.

“I’d be okay with it, I think,” Cory slowly replied, turning her gaze back to the girls, smile curling onto her lips. “He’s really good to me.”

Annalise smiled along with Cory, reaching over to take her hand and give it a squeeze. Hazel sighed a dreamy sigh, pouting some as she poked her fork into a dumpling. “I wish I had a cute boy that treated me like a princess.”

“You’ll find yours some day,” Annalise chuckled, shaking her head as she went back to her food.

“If you and Harry start dating, you’ll have to hook me up with Niall. Or, y’know, now’s cool too,” Hazel said with a grin, biting off the end of the dumpling. “I could get lost in those baby blues.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Cory laughed and shook her head, looking towards Annalise. “What about you? Do you want me to get you in with someone while I’m at it?”

“They’re not really my type,” Annalise chuckled. “Do any of them have sisters?”

Both Cory and Annalise turned to look at Hazel, who stopped gorging herself when she noticed all eyes on her. “What?”

“You’re the 1D expert here.” Cory laughed again. “Do any of them have sisters?”

“Oh, puh-lease.” Hazel scoffed. “Not like you aren’t currently living under the same roof as Harry-freakin’-Styles or anything.”

“I’m still learning! Don’t avoid the question, I’m trying to hook your sister up.”

“... Everyone but Niall has sisters,” Hazel grumbled, stabbing a dumpling and shoving it into her mouth.

The rest of the night was spent guessing what Harry could possibly surprise her with for Christmas, the ideas ranging from a modest mistletoe kiss to a romantic trip to Paris, though the latter was shot down when she reminded Hazel about her lack of passport. It wasn’t until Cory received her usual good morning text from Harry that she realized it had gone well past midnight. She ushered Annalise off home so she could get enough sleep before work in the morning, then helped Hazel clean the dishes before settling into the guest room.

Even if Cory never remembered anything about her life before the accident, she was content with the life that she had built here with Harry, Annalise, and Hazel. This was really all she needed. She wouldn’t mind it staying this way for a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeey, long time, no see. If you guys don't follow [my writing blog on Tumblr](http://makeshiftneverland.tumblr.com/) (which if you're not, get with the program, c'mon), you're probably wondering where I disappeared to. I took a bit of a hiatus towards the end of the spring to focus on school and then I just... couldn't get back into writing until recently due to lack of muse. But here I am, trying to crank out the remainder of this story for you guys because I had a handful of very vocal supporters who were encouraging me to get back into the game.
> 
> This is a special shout out to Fran, Corrina, and anybody else who sent me messages saying that they missed Cory, Harry, and the world that I've built for them for getting me here. I can't promise consistent updates by any means going forward, but I'll definitely be trying. Hopefully it doesn't show how rusty I am at writing in this chapter hahaha. Enjoy and let me know what you think!


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